Alexander Towning, who worked at a number of Sydney's most exclusive hotels and restaurants before he fell into drug addiction, moved back to the Hunter and began supplying large quantities of MDMA, had hoped to receive time served when he was sentenced in Newcastle District Court on Wednesday.

But instead Judge Tim Gartelmann, SC, ordered that he serve a non-parole period of one year and nine months, meaning he is not eligible for release until May, 2021. Towning had pleaded guilty to three counts of knowingly take part in the supply of a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug in relation to the nearly 450 grams of MDMA that he and his "business partner" Luke Brabant supplied to undercover police at Anna Bay, Williamtown, Beresfield and Sydney between June and August, 2019.

It was Brabant who liaised with and met the customers, arranging a quantity and price before heading over to Towning's unit in Mitchell Street to collect the vacuum-sealed bags of MDMA.

Police had established Strike Force Toongahra in May, 2019, to investigate the supply of MDMA in the Hunter and were conducting electronic and physical surveillance of Brabant.

On June 12, Brabant supplied a total of 140 grams of MDMA to an undercover police officer for $8900.

On July 15, Brabant arranged for Carly Beck to collect 140 grams of MDMA from Towning's unit and drive it to Sydney where she handed it over to an undercover police officer who paid her $9000.

Then on August 7, a day before the pair were arrested, Towning and Brabant supplied 160 grams at a service station at Beresfield.