Paul Jewell will have to be of good behaviour for two years after being given a conditional release order following his guilty plea to supplying 7.7 grams of cocaine in 2019.

Magistrate Claire Girotto handed down the sentence in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, noting Jewell "was not a bad person".

She took into account his lack of criminal history, extenuating circumstances which included psychological reports noting Jewell's drug dealing stemmed from stress and anxiety about his mechanical repair business, as well as a wealth of good character references.

"[The supply] was also not done for profit," Magistrate Girotto said. "It was social supply."

Among those who were part of Jewell's close friendship group and allegedly benefited from his drug associations was Wollongong lawyer Vic Cuoco, who was also arrested as part of the police operation that brought Jewell undone.

Cuoco has since pleaded guilty to his own set of cocaine supply charges.

A set of agreed facts tendered to Wollongong Local Court said police set up Strike Force Jacquie in October 2019 to investigate the actions of Jewell and Cuoco.

They began monitoring Jewell's phone calls in early December and secretly recorded him supplying small amounts of cocaine to several close friends on multiple occasions between December 10 and 31.

Police said Jewell used code words to conceal his discussion of drugs, including "beer", "case of beer", "brackets", "receipt" and "invoice".

Meanwhile, on New Year's Eve, police attended Wilton Airport and stopped Jewell before he boarded a flight to the Hunter Valley.

He was found to have 3.72g of cocaine in his luggage and told police it was partially for personal use and partially to give to friends at the wedding they were attending.

Jewell was charged and released on bail.

The police continued to monitor Jewell until swooping on him in March as part of a wider raid.

In total, Jewell was charged with supplying 7.7 grams of cocaine.

In court on Tuesday, Jewell's defence lawyer Danny Lagopodis said his client had expressed "extreme remorse and contrition" for his drug dealings.

He said Jewell had an "unblemished record and was highly regarded and spoken of in the community" however became a cocaine user to medicate from life stresses.

In her findings, Magistrate Girotto noted Jewell was the person among his friends who could source the drug so they could all have a "good time".

Jewell told the court that he was no longer friends with the same group of people and Magistrate Girotto noted he had done "everything to get his life back on track".

Magistrate Girotto accepted Jewell had excellent chances of rehabilitation, which she could "tell from looking at him" and did not believe he would re-offend.

"You enjoyed an excellent reputation and this charge has smashed it," she said. "However, it is salvageable."

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