A 20-year-old Ballarat man was found with an ice pipe on his lap after crashing into a tree, a court has heard.
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The Ballarat Magistrates’ Court also heard Ashley Withling had a number of weapons, including two axes, a modified baseball bat, knuckle dusters and a hunting knife in the car which crashed in Delacombe on July 8.
This was on top of 10 ecstasy tablets, and ice found in his pocket.
Withling’s phone, which he had clutched tightly in his hand, was also searched and was found to contain a number of messages relating to the trafficking of ice.
When questioned by police, Withling said he did not realise ice was a drug of dependence and smoked it because it gave him a buzz.
He said he often used the hunting knife, but had no idea the axes were in the car and the baseball bat was not his.
Twenty days later the accused was again found with ice and more messages were located on his phone relating to trafficking.
The court heard in one message the accused was selling half a gram of ice for $150.
Withling admitted selling ice to support his own drug habit.
“It was a weekend thing, now it’s a daily thing,” he said.
Withling, who has never held a licence, was intercepted by police a third time this year and on this occasion was found with a pocket knife.
He pleaded guilty to 20 charges on Tuesday, including driving unlicensed, failing to answer bail and two counts of trafficking drugs.
Withling’s lawyer said she explained to her client he faced fifteen years behind bars for trafficking, but added he did not have this in mind at the time of committing the offences.
Describing the trafficking offences as low level, she said Whitling sold it for his own use to support a drug habit he had since he was 14-years-old.
Magistrate Mary Robertson told Withling she hoped he understood the seriousness of his offending.
“Drug trafficking is very serious. You do not know where drugs end up … they do damage other people,” she said.
Withling was placed on a 12-month community corrections order with conditions to complete 80 hours of community work and treatment for drug issues.
His licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for three months.
“If you don’t comply you go to prison,” Ms Robertson said.
