A man was found in possession of heroin when police stopped the hire car he was travelling in.
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Shankar Upretty, 27, of Russell Street, Strathfield, had hired a Toyota Rav 4 but when police stopped the vehicle on the Northern Distributor Road in Orange on April 18, 2022, an unlicensed woman was driving the car.
Upretty did not attend court for sentencing and did not have a solicitor to represent him.
Magistrate David Day read through a document he called the "police facts" that gave enough information for him to sentence Upretty in his absence.
"He has no convictions for anything," Mr Day said but found all his offences relating to the Orange traffic stop to be proved.
"Heroin is extremely concerning."
According to the information provided to Mr Day, police stopped the vehicle at 8.50am near the Astill Drive intersection after receiving an anonymous call about the vehicle being driving on the Mitchell Highway towards Orange.
Police checks on the female driver revealed she had recent interactions with people where drug paraphernalia had been found in her vehicle and she had also previously been charged with driving without a licence.
Upretty, who was sitting in the passenger seat, had hired the vehicle and appeared to be under the affect of a drug and told the police they were travelling to Dubbo, but both people gave different reasons for the visit and had not made accommodation arrangements.
During a search the police found a syringe in a pocket of Upretty's pants.
There was also a hand-rolled cigarette under his left thigh that smelt of cannabis and police found a glasses case containing drug paraphernalia as well as 0.369 grams of heroin wrapped in foil.
Police also later found cannabis in Upretty's suitcase.
Mr Day said police also found a spray containing THC, which is the active component in cannabis, however he was not charged over it.
Mr Day fined Upretty $330 for allowing an unlicensed driver to drive the hire car.
He also fined him $550 for possession of the 0.369 grams of heroin and $110 for possession of 8.9 grams of cannabis leaf.
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