Chief Justice Helen Murrell earlier this month sentenced Benjamin Mark Sarlija, 32, to eight months' jail, with the first two months to be served in full time custody.

The judge suspended the remaining six months upon Sarlija entering a one-year good-behaviour order.

He will be released on February 17.

In jailing the offender, Chief Justice Murrell said Sarlija had been "motivated by greed".

"He was not a drug user who was, by virtue of his addiction, under pressure to raise funds to purchase drugs."

Sarlija was found guilty of trafficking 14 grams of heroin after a judge-only trial in the ACT Supreme Court in September.

But the offender was acquitted at trial of possessing a knuckle duster.

Police pulled over Sarlija as he drove along Ginninderra Drive about 11pm on June 14 last year.

Police became suspicious and searched his car after noticing he seemed nervous, which included having shaking hands, looking down, and stuttering.

Officers found a brown McDonald's bag on the front driver's seat which contained two golf ball sized balls of grey-coloured electrical tape.

Inside, police discovered white powder, which tests revealed to be 14 grams of heroin, with an estimated street value of about $2800.

Sarlija pleaded not guilty to the offences, but Chief Justice Murrell found beyond reasonable doubt that he had possessed the balls voluntarily and knew they contained an illegal drug.

During a December sentence hearing, the court heard Sarlija had no prior convictions for drug matters.

Although he had a significant criminal history with a number of convictions between 2004 and 2007, which included two counts of aggravated robbery.

The court heard he had been sentenced to a suspended jail term in 2011 for the two offences, but did not cooperate with supervision conditions of a related good behaviour order.

The judge noted he had generally stayed out of trouble recently.

The court also heard the offender suffers from back pain and depression after being involved in a car accident in 2013.

He relies on Centrelink benefits and picks up casual work as a gardener and brickies labourer.

"In relation to the offender's subjective circumstances, there is little to be said in his favour. I note that [he] has not taken responsibility for the offence … [and] has not demonstrated remorse," Chief Justice Murrell said.

"The offender has not demonstrated any motivation to engage with supervised rehabilitation to address his involvement in criminal activities.

"He has a history of unsatisfactory response to supervision, which was apparent before the commission of the subject offence."

The defence conceded that jail would be an appropriate penalty, but argued the sentence should be fully suspended.

But Chief Justice Murrell ordered the offender spend two months behind bars.

"In my view the sentence should include an element of significant punishment associated with the sentence," the judge said.

"Such punishment will send important messages of specific and general deterrence."