Burnie Supreme Court: Chronic addiction led to ice and heroin dealing

An ice and heroin dealer has been sentenced, with police also finding ‘a tick book’ full of names of Tassie people who bought drugs from him.

Jason Wayne Savage

AN ice and heroin dealer who was in the grip of a chronic addiction when he was caught by police will not spend any time behind bars.

Jason Wayne Savage, from Tasmania’s North West, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Burnie to one count of trafficking over a four-month period in 2018.

He was sentenced to 12 months in jail but the sentenced was suspended on condition he not commit an serious offence for the next two years.

Police found messages on Savage’s phone between him and another drug dealer before he was searched by police and found to be carrying $1608 in cash, 52 grams of methylamphetamine and 15.2 grams of heroin.

“A tick book was also found in your bedroom, which indicated the names of at least 20 people who had purchased drugs from you, together with a running tally of the amount they owed to you, which was approximately $7640,” Justice Tamara Jago told Savage.

Savage was released on bail but was found at another drug dealer’s house soon after again carrying cash and drugs.

“You told police you were addicted to methylamphetamine and that you used it on a daily basis,” Justice Jago told Savage.

“You also told police that for the past six months, you had been transporting methylamphetamine for other people and that you were given drugs, or sold drugs at a discounted rate, in exchange for your assistance.

“You declined to identify for whom you were transporting the drugs. I am satisfied you were selling predominantly small, individual quantities to end users. There is no suggestion on the evidence that is available for my consideration that you were operating at any higher level within the trafficking hierarchy.”

The court was told the 41-year-old had prior convictions for dishonesty, violence, driving offences, bail offences and offences against police.

“I am told that around the time this offending occurred, your addiction was chronic,” she said.

Since then, Savage has stopped using ice and got a job as a painter.