When John Henry McNamee hit black ice and crashed his car, it was only the start of his problems.
After police and fire crews arrived at the scene, off State Highway 96 near Browns, 8km east of Winton, the smell of cannabis emanating from the vehicle was obvious.
Officers informed the 30-year-old driver they would be searching the car."I’ll save you the trouble," McNamee said, and whipped out a white grocery bag.
It contained 16 "foils" packaged for sale, a $50 bag - 26gm of cannabis in all - and a bong.
The defendant, however, was less keen to show police a small set of electronic scales.
Police spotted him trying to conceal them.
A further search of the vehicle turned up $865 cash but McNamee was adamant the class C drugs were for personal use.An analysis of the man’s cellphone use said otherwise.
He was "actively sourcing and selling cannabis," police said.
Over a seven-week period from July last year, the defendant was involved in 35 transactions, Crown prosecutor Richard Smith said.
Defence counsel Anne Stevens pointed out it was impossible to tell how much cannabis had actually been sold.
"It could only be described as commercial," Judge Kevin Phillips told the Dunedin District Court this week.
The drug-dealing was not the end of McNamee’s woes.
On November 24, police executed a search warrant at his Waldronville home where he lived with his partner and children.
Inside a backpack in a wardrobe was a cut-down .22 semi-automatic rifle and in a drawer nearby were 106 rounds of ammunition.
McNamee pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis for supply, possessing a bong, selling cannabis, possessing a pistol and possessing ammunition.
Mrs Stevens said her client had come across the weapon by chance and was looking for a way to dispose of it when police raided the home.
Police had tested the firearm and found it was inoperable, she stressed.
While on bail, McNamee had completed a previous sentence of community work and been working in the forestry sector around the country to support his family.
However, the judge referenced the defendant’s "unenviable record" and previous drug convictions.However, his offending had tailed off in the last five years, he said.
"You appear to have some positivity about your life and sending you to Milton would end that and put you back on the heap. I don’t want that," Judge Phillips said.
McNamee was sentenced to nine months’ home detention and 150 hours’ community work.
The $865 cash was forfeited to the Crown.
