Tamworth 'ice castle' target Stephen Ross Hanshaw jailed for eight years for large commercial drug supply and ongoing firearms deaing

On Friday, he was sentenced in Tamworth District Court to eight years in jail for supplying 1500g of ice across Tamworth - three times the large commercial quantity.

Hanshaw - the primary target of the Strike Force Radius operation which has netted more than 30 arrests - was staring down the barrel of life imprisonment for his 'ice castle' business.

He was given a discount of 25 per cent for his early guilty pleas to supplying a large commercial quantity of ice, and also supplying firearms on an ongoing basis.

Judge Jonathan Williams said the combination of drug supply and firearms dealing is "deserving of the greatest condemnation", and he "introduced an extremely dangerous drug" into a regional town.

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The police sting saw Hanshaw supply seven firearms, and offered to supply two more, but the guns never made it onto the streets after an undercover police officer intercepted them.

In a letter of apology, the now 51-year-old admitted his "regret and shame" for what he had done; but he now had a clearer head after being clean of drugs during his 18 months in custody.

"'I was supplying drugs to anyone that wanted them'," Judge Williams said, reading excerpts of the letter to the court.

"[It was a] gutless act that I regret."

Hanshaw acknowledged "that I'm responsible" for the domestic violence, assaults and robberies across Tamworth as a consequence of peddling drugs.

"I'm the gutless person responsible for these plagues," he wrote.

Hanshaw in his letter said "he lost touch with reality" while abusing drugs; "he was burnt out at 51"; and "my life has been destroyed by drugs". He added: "I'm dirty on myself for getting involved in guns ... I hate guns".

"Guns kill in the wrong hands," he acknowledged.

He boasted he was able to supply a kilogram of ice a week, and used nine different mobiles under fakes names to operate his drug dealing business.

"He was a street-level dealer that engaged in supply on a prolific level ... up to 40 persons a day," Crown solicitor Cameron Reynolds said.

The court heard Hanshaw supplied 921g of ice in eight months; more than 300g had also been intercepted by undercover police before it made it on the street; and the balance of the 1500g had been seized, or offered to be supplied.

"He was a very busy street-level supplier," Mr Reynolds submitted. He said he was involved in a "shambolic" enterprise that had "very well established supply networks" and was able to source drugs "at very short notice", both interstate and in Tamworth.

On the firearms supply which saw nine guns offered or supplied in six transactions, Mr Reynolds said "the weapons that were supplied were capable of inflicting lethal injuries in the community".

The guns, including lever-action rifles with telescopes; a single shot pistol; and repeating rifles were in working order, or were assembled by police and found to be capable of being fired.

The court heard of Hanshaw's "appalling childhood". He was homeless in his teens; had barely any education or employment; and had been exposed to alcoholism by his family - all of which led him to turn to drugs at age 14.

"A background like that leaves a mark on a person's life," Barrister David McCallum argued.

A specialist report tendered said Hanshaw was displaying PTSD symptoms; and he was on a disability pension after being injured in a bull-riding accident in his younger years.

The court heard he had left his wife several years ago - which was contradictory to her evidence in the same court earlier this month.

Judge Williams was told Hanshaw had been in a new relationship for the past five years, despite Rebecca Hanshaw living with him at the time, and being a co-offender in drug and weapons dealing.

Hanshaw appeared via video link from prison, and at times wiped away tears, or shook his head listening to the sentencing submissions.

Mr McCaullum said Hanshaw was a street-level dealer supplying mostly from his bedroom window from his housing commission unit.

He said it was "brazen" and "essentially for all the world to see".

He said Hanshaw was "reckless" and failed to conceal his criminal activities, which showed a "complete lack of planning and organisation".

Mr McCaullum said Hanshaw had "no trappings of wealth", and any money was "immediately spent acquiring or sourcing the next batch of drugs".

Hanshaw, he said, was a "hopeless addict" and there wasn't a dollar found when police raided his "hovel" of a unit.

Mr McCallum argued Hanshaw only supplied firearms to undercover police; and "none of the firearms did make it into the community".

The court heard years of drug abuse had taken a toll on his "weathered" looking client who looks older than he years.

"He's suffered from frequent severe swelling of his limbs," Mr McCallum submitted, adding chest pains had also seen him frequently unwell in custody.

Offences of supplying heroin, fentanyl and cannabis leaf were taken into account on sentencing, along with charges of supplying ammunition, and two tasers which were prohibited weapons.

Hanshaw was sentenced to a maximum of eight years in jail, with a minimum of five years without parole.

His earliest release date will be the end of May in 2024.

He was also convicted of four counts of driving while disqualified after he was exposed by police driving to different drug deals.