Dealer can't avoid jail

A Rotorua drug dealer has been jailed despite his lawyer's pleas he was "crying out for rehabilitation".

Shannon Staveley, 32, has been sentenced in the Rotorua District Court to two years and seven months' jail after previously pleading guilty to nine charges relating to the supply of methamphetamine, cannabis and cannabis oil.

All except one, offering to supply cannabis oil, were representative, meaning the offending happened more than once.

A police analysis of Staveley's text messages between January 1 and March 18 last year revealed he committed drug offences on 76 separate occasions.

The texts used a pig hunting code where methamphetamine was referred to as pork.

Staveley's lawyer, Martin Hine, told the court his client was arrested a month into a home detention sentence for prior drug offences and was about to enter a residential drug and alcohol programme.

"He utterly accepts this offending was wrong," said Mr Hine.

"He is absolutely committed to turning his life around."

Mr Hine submitted home detention would allow for Staveley's rehabilitation.

Rotorua Crown prosecutor Simon Simmers said the Crown opposed home detention, as Staveley had dealt a total of 3.21 grams of Class A methamphetamine and that had to be denounced.

In sentencing, Judge Phillip Cooper said Staveley had been the "go-to person", a link between those wanting methamphetamine and those supplying it. He said the probation report stated Staveley had dealt to support his own drug habit and he was motivated to address those issues.

The judge also noted Staveley had his family's unconditional support. Judge Cooper also gave Staveley credit for his early guilty plea and his prospects for rehabilitation.

However, due to the gravity of the offending he concluded home detention was not appropriate.

"Methamphetamine is a very serious problem in our community and I am required [impose] a sentence to denounce [it]."