A former ABC presenter has been jailed for selling large quantities of illicit drugs to street dealers from a Sydney hotel.
Ashley Norman Hall, 54, was on Friday sentenced to six years with a non-parole period of three after being convicted of supplying illicit drugs and dealing with proceeds of crime.
He was arrested at the Ibis hotel near Darling Harbour following a sting operation by a police strike force in late 2022.
An undercover officer posing as a street dealer purchased drugs including cocaine, acid, MDMA and methamphetamine from Hall during a five-week period.
He would sell large quantities of these at a high purity to street dealers from various Sydney hotels and serviced apartments.
While Hall's offences carried "grave social consequences" according to Judge Penelope Hock, his difficult adolescence and guilty plea inspired her to be lenient.
The NSW District Court heard Hall began using marijuana as a young man to cope with traumatic events, and eventually progressed to harder drugs such as MDMA and crystal meth.
He had no criminal record until 2019 when he was arrested over minor drug crimes, for which he was fined without conviction.
But he continued to offend and spent three months in jail in 2021 before being released on bail and offending again.
“Sadly, three months in prison did not serve as a necessary wake-up call,” Judge Hock said.
The recency of his criminal record was taken into account during sentencing given his age, as was his history of mental health issues.
His professional record in news broadcasting and testimonies to his character from family, former colleagues and an ex-partner were also taken into account.
Judge Hock told the court she hoped his work experience and supportive family would allow him a fresh start when his sentence was up.
“He is a person who is, in my view, truly at a crossroads,” Judge Hock said.
He was sentenced to six years starting from December 7, 2022 with a non-parole period of three years.
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