Peter Trompa's gun and drug supply sentence for Tamworth 'ice castle' adjourned because of COVID self-isolation concerns

Peter Trompa was due to appear in Tamworth Local Court this week to face sentencing for conspiracy to supply a firearm to a person unauthorised to possess it; along with a charge of supplying more than an indictable quantity of drugs.

But Trompa, who was bailed in August 2019 to live in Melbourne, did not make it to Tamworth and remains in Victoria, the court was told.

"He is self-isolating, and is unable to travel," Legal Aid solicitor Rae Parker told the court, adding there were COVID concerns and he was going to be tested.

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"I am going to provide his medical certificate."

Magistrate Julie Soars granted a two-month adjournment for the sentencing, ordering him to provide a medical certificate for his absence.

"With bail to continue," she said.

Ms Soars told the court "he needs to attend [for sentencing] to see whether the Section 5 threshold had been crossed".

"Yes, that's still an issue," Ms Parker replied.

The court was told in January that Trompa's Legal Aid defence were still at odds with the DPP about whether the Section 5 threshold - which determines whether an accused should serve a full-time prison sentence - had been reached.

The DPP has argued the threshold had been crossed with Trompa's offending, but Legal Aid doesn't believe it has and wants to argue the case in court, in front of Trompa.

Trompa pleaded guilty to the charges in May, last year, but his inability to get to NSW for sentencing has plagued the delays in the case.

Border closures and travel restrictions has seen the case continually adjourned since.

The Tamworth man is accused of being involved in what's been dubbed the Tamworth 'ice castle', a drug and gun supply ring, which police claim was operating out of a Petra Avenue housing commission unit.

He was arrested in 2019 as part of Strike Force Radius, a 10-month investigation by Oxley police. It was one of the biggest police stings in the region's history.

Trompa is one of about 30 targets arrested by the strike force across Tamworth, Sydney, the Central Coast and Dubbo.

The majority have been sentenced after pleading guilty to various drug or firearm supply offences.

A handful of men and a woman remain before the court awaiting sentencing, set down for April and May this year.

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