Anthony Dean Alchin sentenced in Tamworth court for ice, cannabis leaf supply

Anthony Dean Alchin told Tamworth District Court during evidence at his sentencing hearing that supplying illicit drugs from his family home to his community was a "very stupid thing to do".

"My partner, my community, my neighbours, everyone I let down - it's not right what I did," he said.

"I was on a path of destruction ... I'm thankful, I'm grateful that it happened, that I got arrested, because I needed help."

The court heard the now 37-year-old had been clean from methylamphetamine, known as ice, and was getting weekly one-on-one counselling.

"I wish I knew what I know now about speaking out and getting help," he said.

The court heard that although Alchin was making money off his local operation, he was using it to fund his own addictions and deal with his own trauma.

He told the court that if he hadn't sought treatment after being arrested by strike force police in 2021, he'd "still be a shell, sitting somewhere smoking crack", but now he was hoping to use his story to help at-risk kids.

Alchin was sentenced to a community-based custodial sentence for a total of three years, after pleading guilty to supplying 172.8g of methylamphetamine; and supplying 82g of cannabis leaf, both between May and August 2021.

Several other offences were taken into account at sentencing.

As part of the order, Alchin must also do 100 hours of community service, and stay away from alcohol and drugs that aren't prescribed to him.

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Judge Andrew Coleman said although it was clear Alchin was "selling to a significant number of clients", the defence had said it was a "small and localised" operation, which was "amateur, opportunistic and haphazard".

The Crown argued for a period of full-time imprisonment, and said the offending took place over several months, continued after Alchin had interactions with police, involved a "significant" volume of customers, and that he had a previous supply matter on his record.

Judge Coleman said he was impressed by the steps Alchin had taken towards rehabilitation.

Written submission had earlier been handed up to the court, including a letter from Alchin's drug counsellor, and a report from a forensic psychologist.

Although operating on his own, Alchin was arrested as part of a Tamworth-based drug sting codenamed Strike Force Burtenshaw.

Alchin and his family were living in Susanne Street in 2021, where cameras had been installed.

"Many of his supplies were, in fact, captured by that CCTV," Judge Coleman said in sentencing.

People, mostly from the local community, would go to the house at all hours to source the drug ice, sometimes up to 20 people per day, the court heard.

Intercepts captured messages and phone calls arranging purchases, and discussions about how hard it was to carry out drug supply-related travel during COVID-19 restrictions.

Police stopped and searched Alchin in late July, 2021, and found 1.573g of ice. In August that year, his house was raided and 0.3g of ice was seized, as well as an ice pipe, a cutting agent, resealable bags and digital scales.

On October 19, 2021, the house was raided again and Alchin was arrested.

He spent two days in custody before being granted bail.

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