Two men who admitted bringing thousands of pounds worth of heroin into Shetland earlier this year were given lengthy jail sentences when they appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday.
James Kennedy, 29, was jailed for four years and two months, while 25-year-old Greg Lawrie was sentenced to two years and six months.
The pair were arrested on May 15 when police, acting on a tip-off, searched an address at Lerwick’s Hill Grind and found Lawrie in possession of heroin with a potential street value of £7,000.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenize said police had gleaned from mobile phone records that both Lawrie and Kennedy, who he said had “no connection whatsoever with Shetland”, had been involved in bringing the drugs to the islands for distribution.
Lawrie’s solicitor, Tommy Allan, said his client, a trained green-keeper, had recently developed a cocaine habit and became involved in supplying drugs in an attempt to clear his debts.
He added that Lawrie, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, accepted the drugs were found on his person, but felt his role in their supply was “fairly minor”.
Acting on behalf of Kennedy, Philip McWilliams said he had also become involved due to a heroin habit that had worsened in the past 12 months.
Kennedy, whose address was given as Barlinnie Prison, committed the offence when he was already subject to an undertaking to appear at Ayr Sheriff Court on another drug-related matter.
Sheriff Philip Mann told the court that anyone convicted of trafficking drugs in Shetland could expect a custodial sentence, unless there were exceptional circumstances.
He noted that Kennedy had a “very extensive” criminal record, including a conviction for drug dealing in 2010, but reduced his sentence from the maximum of five years by 10 months to reflect his guilty plea.
Lawrie’s sentence was reduced from three years by six months for the same reason.
Both sentences were backdated to May 19, when the pair were taken into custody.