A 25-year-old man who faced jail wrote a three page letter asking a magistrate to "look deep into her heart and give him another chance", the Launceston Magistrates court heard.
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Drew Alexander Jones faced seven months jail if a drug treatment order he was given on November 30 2023 was cancelled.
The order allowed him to avoid seven months jail as long as he had stayed off drugs and avoided reoffending.
However, Jones was arrested on December 27 2023 in a targeted police operation after he failed to abide by conditions of the order including a scheduled appearance in court for a review on December 14.
He was arrested on three counts of driving while disqualified on December 12 and 13 2023 to which he is yet to plead and two counts of breaching bail.
An application to cancel the order was made by the Department of Community Corrections and Tasmania Police and considered by magistrate Sharon Cure on Thursday.
Defence lawyer Hannah Phillips said the offending came in the context of a breakdown in the relationship at the house where he was living during the order.
Ms Phillips said serious allegations were being spoken about in the community.
She said Jones had gone to ground because he was fearful of Tasmania Police special operations group since an arrest at the Newstead Hotel.
Ms Phillips opposed the cancellation order saying that if he did not get another chance "when would it happen for him".
"He hasn't had a chance," Ms Phillips said.
She said he had spent most of his life in jail since he turned 18-years-old.
Jones had been in custody for 51 days since December 27.
Ms Cure read his letter remarking that it was articulate.
Ms Cure allowed Jones to continue on the drug treatment order citing a Victorian legal case which dictated that drug treatment order recipients be given a fair chance to comply.
A report by a court mandated diversion officer found that a new address for Jones in Port Sorrell was unsuitable.
Mr Jones wrote a letter to Ms Cure in April 2022 outlining a wish to be a better person.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
