A man who was caught selling methamphetamines to an undercover police officer twice has avoided prison time.
Ali Aber, 24, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to two counts of trafficking methamphetamines.
Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Carita Thompson told the court Aber made contact with an undercover police officer on social media on January 28, 2021, before meeting with them in a McDonald’s car park in Shepparton where Aber sold 1g of methamphetamines to the officer for $300.
The court heard the pair was in contact again on February 26, 2021, and it was organised that Aber would sell the undercover officer 28g of methamphetamines.
The pair met at a different McDonald’s car park in Shepparton and drove together to the Pine Lodge Hotel where the drug deal took place, with the officer paying $6000 for 28g of the drug.
Aber’s solicitor Ian Michaelson told the court these matters pre-dated a court appearance of Aber’s in October last year where he was sentenced to prison and a community corrections order for charges including trafficking methamphetamines, possessing GHB and possessing the proceeds of crime.
Mr Michaelson said the current changes were filed a month after his client was sentenced on the other matters and argued for concurrency with his previous sentence.
The court also heard Aber is due for release from prison on April 13 for the other matters.
Magistrate David Faram sentenced Aber to an 18-month community corrections order, which will start after he is released from prison on the sentence he is currently serving.
The order will include 150 hours of community work, as well as assessment and treatment for drug dependency.
Mr Faram ordered any treatment hours could count towards Aber’s community work hours.
“The court (sentence) in October last year would not have been substantially different if trafficking methamphetamines was dealt with then,” Mr Faram said.
“It is for that reason I’m not imposing further prison.”