Learning challenges caused by dyslexia may have contributed to a Queenstown man’s drug addiction and subsequent offending, a judge says.
The defendant admitted a charge of offering to supply methamphetamine, between January 7 and March 6, after receiving a sentence indication from Judge Callaghan on August 29.
He also admitted a charge of breaching a protection order after two air guns were found at his home.
Counsel Hugo Young asked for a sentence of home detention to enable the defendant to keep his job as a tyre fitter.
Williams was also prepared to undergo residential treatment to address his addiction.
Judge Callaghan said Williams had a "reasonably long" criminal record and the latest offending was aggravated by having occurred while serving an intensive supervision sentence.
However, he recognised the defendant had been "in the grips" of an addiction that had driven him into low-level dealing to sustain it.
The protection order breach was the result of the defendant not reading its fine print.
Although that could be put down to his dyslexia, "he should’ve had someone read it to him".
Taking account of the defendant’s guilty plea and positive attitude to rehabilitation, Judge Callaghan convicted Williams on both charges and sentenced him to six months’ home detention at a Frankton address.
He made an order for forfeiture of $1250 cash seized by police at the time of the defendant’s arrest.
