A business owner caught with a large amount of drugs and steroids at his factory and home says he was using them to keep up with a heavy workload.
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Clayton Allen's Wodonga business, Phoenix Radiators on Queen Street, and his Universal Court home were raided on April 22 last year.
The Organised Crime Intelligence Unit had been investigating Allen and intercepted his vehicle before the property searches.
The Wodonga Magistrate Court on Thursday heard officers found ice in a tool chest, bottles of various pills, vials of steroids, multiple bags with speed capsules, multiple bags containing crushed ecstasy, ecstasy tablets, bags containing meth and more.
A locked box also contained a gel blaster, which is considered an imitation gun.
His partner was at their home when it was raided.
The pair later split up.
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Allen gave a lengthy police interview and said he hadn't sold any drugs, and had used casually due to the stressful nature of his business.
He has previously spent time in jail, which lawyer Chirag Patel said had been a wake-up call.
The former Mildura resident moved to Wodonga in 2016 and plans to sell his business and relocate to Adelaide.
The 33-year-old, Mr Patel said, had been "dabbling" with drugs once or twice a week to help his work.
He said his client didn't need support or assistance for his substance use.
Magistrate Ian Watkins said he wasn't sure people could "dabble" with ice.
"It's a pretty addictive drug," he said.
He convicted Allen and imposed a corrections order with 80 hours of unpaid community work.
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