A major West Albury drug dealer who played a significant role in "spreading misery in the community" has been sentenced to six years' jail.
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Thomas Alfred Purtell was not a methamphetamine addict, District Court judge Sean Grant said, so his motivation of "greed" was unequivocal.
Defence lawyer Mark Cronin pointed out during Purtell's sentence hearing in Albury on Friday that his client was acting on the directions of senior syndicate members Mohammed El-Zayat and Claudette Tannous.
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"But he did it," Judge Grant replied. "There's no question about his moral culpability, it was for his financial gain."
The court heard that Purtell, 47 - described by Mr Cronin as "an uncomplicated individual" - sourced the methamphetamine in Victoria, was the courier who collected the drugs to bring back to Albury, was responsible for the distribution of the drugs to buyers and collected the money owed for the drugs.
This was done from a "safe house" shared with his partner and "heavy" user Kylie Pearce, who previously was given a minimum of 15 months behind bars.
Purtell was at Thurgoona in his part-time employment as a traffic controller when the Kurrajong Crescent house was raided by police on August 1, 2018.
He was arrested later that day.
Purtell was ordered to serve a minimum of three years and four months before becoming eligible for parole on November 30, 2021, on two charges of supply a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
One related to 262.75 grams of methamphetamine Purtell had undertaken to supply or had supplied.
The other related to 252 grams of methamphetamine found in the house, along with $6725.
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