Tyler Ford sentenced to home detention to live with parents after request to live with former customer turned girlfriend denied
A cocaine dealer has been slammed by a judge for lying after he told a psychologist his new girlfriend rarely used drugs, despite being a former customer.
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A cocaine dealer has been slammed by a judge for his dishonesty after he told a psychologist his new partner rarely used drugs, despite being a former customer.
Tyler Michael Ford, 27, was instead ordered to live with his parents on home detention after he turned to trafficking despite living a privileged life.
During sentencing on Tuesday, the District Court heard police attended Ford’s Hillbank house on October 17, 2022 after a call about a domestic disturbance.
Ford’s former partner, Jessica May Eichner, 34, volunteered to police that Ford was a drug dealer.
The court heard 22g of cocaine, valued at up to $8800, was found under a sink in the couple’s home.
The pair pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges.
The court heard messages revealed Ford’s trafficking enterprise was limited to a small group of people, with the profit funding his own drug habit.
“You had employment, you had family support and you had recreational activities that you were excelling in,” Judge Emily Telfer said.
“You have an education and you have work skills. Your choices were not hampered by difficult life circumstances or any underlying mental health condition.”
During Eichner’s sentencing submissions, the court heard she was assisting Ford with his drug enterprise because of alleged coercive control and “misguided desire” to secure his approval.
The court heard Eichner was not motivated by profit but received free cocaine from Ford, who she was no longer in a relationship with, in return for her role in the offending.
The former North Adelaide Rooster was sentenced in March to five months jail, which was suspended on an 18-month good behaviour bond.
On Tuesday, the court heard Ford, who works in hospitality, first used cocaine in his early 20s before it got to the point where he was using it almost daily.
The court heard Ford told a psychologist his new partner, who he requested to live with on a home detention sentence, “rarely used illicit drugs”.
However, messages between them exposed Ford’s partner had previously bought cocaine from him – she has not been accused or charged with wrongdoing.
“I am confident that those messages expose that statement to the psychologist as a lie and that you knew it to be a lie because you were her drug dealer,” Judge Telfer said.
“Mr Ford, your dishonesty does you no favours when you come to court relying on a litany of references about your integrity and your honesty.”
Ford was sentenced to three years and three months jail, with a non-parole period of two years.
He was ordered to serve the sentence on home detention to live with his parents after Judge Telfer said it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to live with his partner due to the history.
“Mr Ford please don’t be tempted by the work environment that you are in to have a drink or a snort of cocaine because you’re stressed or tired at the end of a work day,” she said.
“If the work environment becomes too tempting for you, get a different job.”
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Originally published as Tyler Ford sentenced to home detention to live with parents after request to live with former customer turned girlfriend denied
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