David Williams caught with methamphetamine worth nearly $500,000 on Canberra streets

David Mark Williams, 38, appeared in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday, having previously pleaded guilty to charges of drug trafficking and possessing proceeds of crime.

Agreed facts show police searched the Calwell man's white Ford Raptor last December, finding three bags that contained a total of more than 790 grams of methamphetamine.

This quantity of the illicit drug could have netted about $493,000 at the time if it was distributed in "points" of 0.1 grams to customers at a street level.

The court heard it would, however, only have fetched about $79,000 if it was sold in bulk to a single recipient.

Police also seized more than $136,000 in cash, which Williams ultimately admitted was the proceeds of crime, from the man's car and wallet.

The 38-year-old was granted bail after spending eight days in custody following his arrest.

When Williams fronted court for the start of his sentence proceedings on Wednesday, prosecutor Marcus Dyason said the Crown would submit that the man was "towards the upper end" of the drug trafficking hierarchy.

Mr Dyason said the quantities of cash and drugs seized were significant, while the methamphetamine was of relatively high purity.

But Williams' lawyer, Michael Kukulies-Smith, disagreed with the characterisation.

He said Acting Justice Verity McWilliam would not be able to exclude the possibility Williams was merely "a trusted courier" who transported drugs on behalf of others.

Mr Kukulies-Smith told the court his client had become involved in trafficking illicit substances to support his own drug habit, which he was unable to fund with his legitimate income.

This was also reflected in a pre-sentence report, which says Williams "attributed the offences to his own poor choices and getting mixed up in the wrong crowd".

"Mr Williams expressed regret and did not appear to minimise the culpability of his criminal behaviour, although he failed to display insight into how his substance abuse has influenced his criminal behaviour," part of the document reads.

The report also notes that Williams breached his bail conditions in May by drug-driving.

He was assessed as being a medium risk of reoffending.

Wednesday's sentence proceedings did not get very far because Mr Kukulies-Smith requested an assessment of his client's eligibility for a drug and alcohol treatment order, which can be imposed as part of a suspended jail sentence of between one and four years.

Mr Dyason did not oppose this occurring, but he said the Crown would reserve its position on whether such an order was appropriate until after the results were known.

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Acting Justice McWilliam ordered that the assessment take place, saying the underlying cause of Williams' offending "may not go away" unless he received appropriate treatment.

The judge added that sending Williams, the father of a toddler, to jail for years would hurt his family and "cost the community a bucket of money".

"We need to get drugs out of this man's life, and out of the community in general," she said.

"[His offending] is a symptom of something that we might be able to address."

Acting Justice McWilliam adjourned the matter until January 31, when the eligibility assessment is due to take place.

She urged Williams to show he was "serious about getting off the drugs" by staying clean between now and then, telling him "a real opportunity" might be awaiting him.

"The next six weeks might be make or break for you," she told the offender.

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