Bo-Dean Allan Little, 33, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week after earlier pleading guilty to a raft of drug-related charges.
The court heard that after the man was caught with a stash of drugs in Dunedin, he told police he had travelled from Nelson to sell cannabis after ‘‘seeing a need in the Dunedin market’’.
On April 15 last year, Little and his family were at a motel in George St and that afternoon police searched the unit.
The search revealed 248 tabs of LSD wrapped in tinfoil inside a supplement container, more than 11g of MDMA and nearly 30g of ketamine.
About 2.5kg of cannabis and $4571.50 cash was also found.
Little refused to give his cellphone PIN to police when required to do so, but when it was eventually searched it showed he had been involved in drug dealing, a Crown summary said.
This week, counsel Andrew Dawson said his client had a ketamine addiction, which developed after an injury.
When he was released from prison he hoped to attend a residential rehabilitation programme to address his addiction issues.
Little had a difficult childhood, but he had found faith through engaging with the Salvation Army, Mr Dawson said.
‘‘He wants to break out of some of the cycles he was in.’’
Judge David Robinson said Little’s focus on the future was ‘‘remarkable’’ and he showed good insight into the harm his dealing caused to others.
Judge Robinson sentenced the defendant to three years two months’ imprisonment and ordered the $4571 cash found be forfeited.
Little was also disqualified for 12 months and one day for drink-driving.
