Man jailed for selling drugs to pay debts

A Perth man who was planning to sell ecstasy and a rifle to pay off his debts, only to be caught during a random breath test, has been jailed for more than four years.

Mitch Ryan Christmass, 25, was a passenger in a utility in February last year when police stopped the car.

A search found Christmass had almost 400 tablets of ecstasy with a purity of up to 32 per cent, a rifle and five boxes of ammunition.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the West Australian District Court on Thursday to four years and two months in prison.

The court heard Christmass was employed by WesTrac, but after the mining downturn, he struggled to pay off his debts including a house and car, so a friend offered him the chance to make some easy money.

Judge Anthony Derrick said MDMA was a bad drug, in the same category as methylamphetamine, and the tablets would have been dispersed to many people.

He told Christmass that many people struggled financially and did not turn to crime.

The judge added that general deterrence was a significant factor in sentencing.

Christmass, who was declared a drug trafficker, must serve at least two years and two months behind bars before he will be eligible for parole.