Ice use completely changed a 19-year-old's personality, caused him to lose his job and end up in prison, a court has heard.
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Jag Searle pleaded guilty to 11 charges at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Monday, including trafficking methamphetamine.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Steve Repac said police intercepted Searle after he was captured on CCTV driving off without paying for petrol.
The court heard police found 1.97 grams of methamphetamine, scales, deal bags and an ice pipe in his car.
You are lucky you have somewhere to live, a mother who appears to be supportive and the prospect of employment if you can abstain from meth use.
- Magistrate Ron Saines
Searle was also charged with causing criminal damage to his mother's home, damaging a victim's car, possessing proceeds of crime and driving without a supervisor driver on a learners' licence.
Defence lawyer Scott Belcher said Searle was a young offender without a criminal history and it was 'undesirable' to have him in prison.
Mr Belcher said Searle had a supportive mother, but drugs had 'troubled' their relationship and he lost his job in his fourth year of a painting apprenticeship due to drug use.
Magistrate Ron Saines said Searle would now have to choose if he would continue being out of work, destroy relationships with his family, and risk going back to jail, or do something now to beat his drug habit.
"If you spent time in jail you would find most people who has used drugs burnt ties with their family," he said.
Searle was convicted and sentenced to a 15 month community corrections order, with a requirement he complete 100 hours unpaid work, intensive supervision, drug treatment and rehabilitation.
"It appears to me you have a long way to go to come off some years of meth use," Ms Saines said.
"You are lucky you have somewhere to live, a mother who appears to be supportive and the prospect of employment if you can abstain from meth use."
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