Former ABC presenter Ashley Hall was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to multiple charges related to his drug dealing.
He admitted to selling MDMA and cocaine to undercover officers.
According to court documents, the charges against Hall included the supply of various illegal substances, such as cocaine, butanediol, ecstasy, and GHB.
He was allegedly caught with these drugs during undercover operations that took place from November to December 2022.
Before the court sentenced Hall, Justice Penelope Hock referred to him as a wholesale supplier who would provide other people with drugs.
Although she noted that the offences were very serious, she gave him a three-year parole period due to special circumstances.
The sentence will begin from the time of his arrest in December 2022. He was facing a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
During the investigations conducted in 2022, the police purchased drugs from Hall. One of the undercover officers pretended to be a supplier looking for an alternative supplier.
The officers met with Hall at Little Evie cafe in Redfern on November 1. They then purchased methamphetamine and GBH from him for $2050.
Over the next couple of weeks, they conducted controlled sales, which involved the purchase of cocaine, GHB, and methamphetamine.
After the fourth meeting, the police arrested Hall, who was carrying over $87,820 in cash.
They also found a cache of drugs, which included over 84.3 grams of GBL and over 2.5 kilograms of cannabis, in his hotel room.
In his sentencing statement, Justice Hock noted that before he started using drugs, Hall had a successful career.
According to the court, Hall’s descent started after he was abused as a teen.
He then started using drugs, which included marijuana, to try and block out the memories of his abuse.
At the age of 45, he started using crystal methamphetamine, which led to his relationship breaking down.
Hall faced court in 2019 for various drug-related charges. In 2022, he was again charged with supplying drugs.
After spending three months in custody, he was eventually sentenced to a community corrections order.
In her sentencing statement, Justice Penelope Hock stated that Hall had been diagnosed as suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues.
She also noted that he had a reasonable insight into his crimes.
However, due to the support of his family and friends, she decided not to send him to prison.