A Canberra man has been sentenced to two and half years in prison after a police found $10,000 in cash, ammunition and drugs during a raid in September 2015.
ACT Supreme Court Justice Michael Elkaim on Wednesday convicted 37-year-old former labourer and cleaner Darin Paul Keir on three separate offences arising from the raid.
A jury previously found Keir guilty of one charge each of possessing property the suspected proceeds of a crime, unlawfully possessing ammunition and possessing a trafficable quantity of a controlled substance other than cannabis.
Justice Elkaim backdated the sentence seven months to November 15 last year, due to time already served, with a non-parole period of nine months ending May 14 next year, out of a two and a half year total sentence ending May 14, 2019.
Mr Elkaim said that given Keir's lengthy criminal history, the seriousness of these crimes and other offences allegedly committed during a bail period for another unrelated crime, a custodial sentence was the only option.
He said the charges related to a police search warrant executed on his home in September 2015, when police searched a white Holden ute belonging to Keir, finding a gas cylinder with a 'false bottom' behind the front passenger seat.
Once the false bottom was removed, police discovered a canister containing $10,000 in cash inside the gas cylinder, prompting them to examine similar cylinders in the garage at the property.
In those cylinders, police found more than 82 grams of methylamphetamine, two shotgun shells and 75 rounds of .22 calibre shells.
Justice Elkaim has said the charges were "easily proved" and there had been a "very strong" prosecution case put forward.
Defence barrister Tim Sharman argued the offences committed at the time were linked to Keir's drug use, but that drug tests conducted in the months since indicated he was making progress to address that issue.
The court heard Keir had undergone urine drug tests on three occasions since he was taken into custody in November last year, two of which found no evidence of drug use and one of which - conducted on 11 March this year, found only "low levels".
However, Justice Elkaim said despite Keir's attempts to address his drug use, it appeared there was little prospect of rehabilitation.
Keir has lodged an appeal.
Justice Elkaim also set aside a related matter about Keir's alleged breach of a good behaviour order imposed by a previous judge.
He said that matter should instead be decided as part of another court hearing on unrelated matters expected in court later this year or early next year.