Caine Robert Richardson, 29, previously pleaded guilty to trafficking in the Launceston Supreme Court.

He was caught at a Launceston hotel in March 2016 with ice, morphine and codeine.

When police arrived he fled the hotel and attempted to hide the drugs in a garden bed.

The court heard the drugs could have been sold for up to $25,500 in total, but Richardson told police he only intended to sell about half and use the rest himself. 

Richardson’s lawyer Evan Hughes told the court on Monday his client had been on a path of rehabilitation since his release from prison in September last year.

Mr Hughes said Richardson had not tested positive for illicit substances since then and had managed to gain employment and was working on a regular basis.

Handing down his sentence, Justice Robert Pearce detailed Richardson’s criminal history.

It included charges of arson, resisting police, assaulting police, dishonesty and firearms offences. 

Justice Pearce said the defendant did not have a bad record for drug offences, but was addicted to illicit substances at the time of his offending and did not have a job or a stable home when he was caught at the hotel.

Despite his lengthy history, Justice Pearce said he was willing to give Richardson “a chance ” by imposing a wholly suspended sentence rather than an actual term of imprisonment. 

“If [rehabilitation] can be achieved, the community as a whole will benefit,” he said.

“You know better than most with your criminal history if you reoffend … prison is inevitable.”

Richardson was convicted of trafficking and sentenced to 15 months in prison, wholly suspended for a period of two years.

He was also ordered to perform 105 hours of community service and put on probation for 18 months.

He must pay a victims of crime compensation levy of $50 and $2600 to cover drug analysis costs.