Matthew James Binding, a 28-year-old Mandurah man, was convicted of four charges in the Mandurah Magistrate’s Court on Friday, after police found him with methamphetamine on two occasions.
Police searched Binding’s vehicle on September 22, 2015, while it was parked in the rear car park of the Atrium Hotel.
They found a smoking implement and a plastic bag containing 2.86 grams of meth.
A second car search on June 30 uncovered three grams of meth hidden inside the drivers’ seat, which Binding said was for personal use.
The police also found a large military-style knife in the car, which Binding said he used for fishing.
He was arrested in relation to both incidents.
His defence lawyer told the court Binding had been at the height of an addiction, but had since travelled to Queensland to undertake a rehabilitation program at a drug and alcohol clinic, returning drug-free to Western Australian in February.
“He is not so old to be outside the possibility of being rehabilitated,” the lawyer said.
The magistrate said that though Binding had re-offended while on bail for the first offences, it was also a sign of the severity of his addiction at the time, which he had since made significant efforts to overcome.
She sentenced Binding to a nine month community based order.
