Singer Shannon Noll has escaped a criminal conviction and been handed a 12-month good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to cocaine possession.

The 43-year-old's lawyer, Bryan Wrench, entered the plea at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday for one count of possessing a prohibited drug and asked that it proceed to sentence immediately.

Police caught Noll with 0.53 grams of cocaine at Caringbah Hotel in southern Sydney on September 13.

Magistrate Glenn Walsh noted farmers and celebrities were among those who provided character references for Noll who, he said, had fallen from his "high perch" and suffers "a severe case" of depression.

"He's never really gotten over the death of his father," Mr Walsh said as he imposed the bond.

The magistrate said a conviction would be "going too far" and "if he (Noll) wants to resurrect and continue his career, clearly a … conviction would be most adverse to him".

Outside the courthouse Noll said he wanted to put the case behind him and get back to work.

AAP