The former secretary of the National Union of Workers (NUW) NSW branch has been sentenced to four years' jail for spending more than $650,000 of union money on tattoos, botox treatments, boat cruises, cars and motorcycles.

Derrick Belan, 47, was found guilty in March of 60 charges, including dishonestly obtaining financial advantage and participating in a criminal group with a book keeper and IT contractor.

The Parramatta Local Court heard Belan intentionally defrauded the union between 2010 and 2015 by fraudulently using its credit card for personal expenses and being part of a scheme to submit fake IT invoices.

Belan's lawyer said "not one red cent" was taken or used inappropriately by his client.

The completed tattoo on Derrick Belan's leg. ( AAP )

However Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis told the court the former union secretary had spent the money "obtaining tattoos and indulging in botox treatments, cruises, rentals, and motor vehicles".

"I reject his submission he had no knowledge of the misuse of union funds," she said.

"The paper trail led to Belan instigating, knowing about, authorising, and benefiting from a matrix of fraud he set up."

She added Belan had not shown any remorse or revealed a motive for his offending.

However she said she had concluded his motive was "personal greed, ingratiating himself to others, including family members, and a childish desire to have trinkets such as motorcycles".

"The workers that came under the NUW included factory workers, storemen — that is those at the lower end of the wage spectrum where membership came out of what I can only consider to be scant, spare funds," she said.

The royal commission into trade unions first exposed corruption at the NUW NSW in late 2015 and Belan was charged in 2016.

He was given a non-parole period of three years and will be eligible for parole in March 2021.

The prosecution is now seeking compensation for the union members.