Fremantle: Former Kookaburras hockey player sentenced for drugs and weapon charges

FORMER Kookaburras hockey player Matthew Bird has been jailed for two years and 10 months on drugs and weapons charges.

Bird pleaded guilty to four charges of selling a prohibited drug (MDA) and one weapon charge for possession of a knuckle duster.

On February 18, 2018, Bird sold six tablets to an undercover police officer at a Perth nightclub as part of an operation targeting drug dealers.

The officer contacted Bird a further three times where he subsequently sold the officer 15 tablets on February 30, 202 tablets on April 11 and 982 tablets on May 30.

Tests were conducted of the 202 tablets and found the tablets had a purity of 8 per cent.

The knuckle duster was a homemade weapon consisting of a shoe lace with metal on it.

The court was told Bird was at a low point at the time because he had missed out on a spot in the Commonwealth Games.

His lawyers made statements that he would not have set out to be a drug dealer if not for the encouragement of the undercover police officers.

The court also heard the offending was out of character and he was living a double life, being an elite athlete during the week and partying on the weekend.

The prosecution said the State would ask for an immediate term of imprisonment.

Bird will be eligible for parole.