David John Eddy, 53, pleaded guilty to trafficking a drug of dependence, negligently dealing with the proceeds of crime and possessing an unregistered general category handgun.
County Court Judge Daniel Holding outlined Eddy’s offending during a three-and-a-half-month period in 2021 and said he acted on the directions of others and “did what [he was] told”.
The court heard Eddy was arrested at 1.50am on July 18, 2021 while crossing from NSW into Victoria, and police found bundles of cash, a loaded .38 calibre revolver and ammunition in his vehicle.
Police searched his home and found an imitation handgun on the kitchen bench, items used for the preparation and packaging of cocaine and a hidden storage area behind the fridge.
Inside police found five vacuum-sealed bags with a total of 83.9 grams of white powder containing cocaine, small zip-lock bags and digital scales.
Judge Holding said it was his view Eddy’s offending was a serious instance of drug trafficking and he had showed a willingness to involve himself in serious criminal activity.
The court heard Eddy had received a disability support pension for about 10 years due to mental health issues and had started using cannabis, amphetamine and methamphetamine as a teenager.
He also had prior convictions in magistrates’ courts including firearms offences and drug trafficking.
Judge Holding took into account Eddy’s early plea of guilty, his compliance with bail, his time in drug rehabilitation and that he had found a job.
Judge Holding said he regarded his prospects of rehabilitation as reasonable but found a community corrections order was not an appropriate sentence due to the seriousness of the offending.
Eddy was sentenced to three years in jail with a non-parole period of 22 months, with about eight months reckoned as already being served, and fined $150.
He also pleaded guilty to summary charges of being a non-prohibited person in possession of an imitation firearm and possession of cartridge ammunition.
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