An Indian man risks being deported and cut off from his family, including his eight-year-old son, after he was jailed for trafficking the drug ice.
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Sandeep Singh, 29, was sentenced to 16 months' jail at the County Court at Ballarat on Thursday.
He pleaded guilty to five charges, including trafficking methamphetamine, possessing cannabis, attempting to pervert the course of justice and dealing with proceeds of crime.
The court was told on August 21, 2018, at Ararat, police located 3.96 grams of methamphetamine and 8.08 grams of heroin in a van Singh was driving with a co-accused.
After the pair were remanded in custody, Singh wrote a letter to his co-accused asking him to tell police the drugs belonged to the co-accused.
Singh further stated if the co-accused did what he asked, he would find him a girl, and if not, give him $5000 when released from jail.
Judge Duncan Allen told Singh the charges were serious, particularly drug trafficking in a rural town.
"Drugs have a devastating effect on the community. They have had a devastating effect on rural communities," Judge Allen said.
He said it was inevitable Singh, who was on an Australian spouse visa, would be deported after he had lived here for 12 years and "worked hard to build a life in this country".
The judge said it was a sad story after Singh's life "spiralled out of control" and his marriage broke down.
Judge Allen said if deported, Singh would be cut off from his son, mother and siblings who had all moved to Australia.
Singh has already served 422 days in custody, which was reckoned as time already served.
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