Adam Cloy, 42, of Tulka, South Australia, smoked ice at the woman's house in Orange after contacting her on March 27, 2021.

However, the deal went awry on the second meeting when another woman, who he handed his money to, left to get the drugs but never returned.

Magistrate David Day said although Cloy "got ripped off" he still broke into the woman's house with intent to intimidate her.

"On the basis of the agreed statement of facts this is a pretty low level drug deal gone wrong," Mr Days said.

"I used to think [it was] the local court of alcohol but in the last five to six years, particularly in this circuit, that's not true, it's the court of methylamphetamine."

Cloy contacted the woman a second time on April 3 seeking half-a-gram of meth from the female associate and agreed to pay her $250.

He handed over the $250 to the victim's friend who promised to return with the drugs in 15 minutes. However, she did not return and he argued with the victim over the missing money.

Cloy eventually left but returned the next morning when he walked into the victim's house and grabbed her by her jumper saying, "you set me up, you have to get my money back". He pushed her against a TV unit and before leaving again and said, "I will come back and kill you".

Solicitor Sarah Ellison disagreed with the prosecution claim that Cloy had crossed the custodial threshold.

"He tells me he is trying to steer clear of using ice," she said. "When he first started using ice he was 35 years of age. Since the age of 37 he has been trying very hard to stay clean for work and because of his work he cannot use drugs.

"He's a hard-working person who was hit by COVID like every other hard-working person and he fell down a bit of a rabbit hole."

Ms Ellison said her client grabbed the woman by her jumper. "He voluntarily steps back and says, 'I'm going to kill you,'. He was in her home and it must have been frightening for her."

Mr Day said Cloy did not cross the threshold but it would have been different if he had a record for violence. "He's got very close, he's got remarkably close," he said.

Mr Day gave him two three-year Community Correction Orders and fined him a total of $2200 for intimidation and breaking into the woman's house.

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