A magistrate has pleaded with a Wagga man who tried to send cannabis in the mail not to be "foolish again", saying it was obvious he was not a seasoned criminal.
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Shannon Prior appeared in Wagga Local Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to supplying a prohibited drug - 298.94 grams of cannabis.
On November 18, the 38-year-old went to a post office in Wagga to send off a parcel and, later that day, a staff member discovered they could smell cannabis coming from it.
Management notified the police, who seized the contents of the box.
Over the next few weeks, Prior returned to the post office multiple times to make inquiries about his package and supplied his name and number to the manager when asked.
At one point, he told a staff member he had been sending $800 worth of bobblehead porcelain figurines and was worried about losing his money.
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Mr Tankard said Prior, a hard-working man employed as a boilermaker, was the father of two children.
In a letter to the court, the Forest Hill man said he had bought the cannabis for a family member who was struggling with mental health issues, and when they did not like it had decided to send to a friend at no cost.
Magistrate Miranda Moody rejected the "tale" in Prior's letter.
"I have difficulty with that story because of the amount of the cannabis. It's some 200 grams of cannabis ... nearly 300 grams," she said. "I don't believe it."
Magistrate Moody said Prior was "obviously not a seasoned drug dealer" and showing his face at the post office demonstrated his naivety.
She added that his record was "not the worst", and there had been no criminal offences in the last 10 years.
"He is gainfully employed ... he has a family ... [and] there is no question that he is sorry and says he deserves his punishment," Magistrate Moody said.
"I have other references from friends who say this is out of character, [that] he is hard working and he is a shoulder to lean on for anyone who knows him. I don't consider that he crossed the threshold."
Magistrate Moody sentenced him to a 12-month community correction order.
"Don't do anything as foolish as this again," Magistrate Moody said.
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