A drug dealer was jailed for eight years today after he was caught in a £75,000 heroin handover after being freed on bail by a court.
Matthew Mills was originally detained by police at his home in Peterhead where Class A drugs and cash were found.
The repeat drug offender spent eight days in custody but was then released on bail before being caught weeks later taking delivery of the haul of heroin.
A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh pointed out that Mills (36) had previous convictions for drug dealing.
Lord Burns said: “Behaviour like this must be deterred and you have been far from deterred by various orders of the court for some years now.”
“You were on licence when most of this behaviour took place. You were on bail when much of it took place,” said the judge.
Lord Burns told Mills that he would have faced a 10-year sentence, but for his guilty pleas.
Courier Ryan Colquhoun (21) of Staunton Rise, Livingston, in West Lothian, was jailed for three years for his part in the operation.
The court heard that two previous drug crimes committed by Mills had been dealt with by non-custodial disposals, although he had been jailed for assault and robbery.
Mills earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine between June 16 and July 15 this year after being granted bail at Peterhead Sheriff Court on June 26.
The High Court heard that as a result of intelligence police armed with a search warrant forced entry to his home at 2 Park Lane, Peterhead on June 16.
A sniffer dog indicated the presence of drugs and heroin worth up to £5,380 on the streets was found along with £260 cocaine and £660 in cash. More cocaine was later found at another address in Peterhead
Advocate depute Jane Farquharson said: “Text messages sent from a device controlled by him are consistent with his being involved in the sale of heroin and crack cocaine.”
After Mills release police received intelligence that he was to take delivery of drugs on July 15 at the Esso Garage in South Road, Peterhead.
Surveillance officers were put in place to keep watch and Mills was seen approaching a Renault Clio carrying a carrier bag.
He got into the vehicle and sat down in the front passenger seat and police moved in on Mills and the driver Colquhoun.
Almost 900 grams of heroin, which could be worth up to £75,000 if split into tenner bags, was recovered along with more than £3,400 in cash.
Unemployed benefit claimant Mills later admitted to officers his involvement with the supply of drugs and said it was an escalating problem caused by trying to deal with his and his partner’s drug habit.
Miss Farquharson said: “He told police they were both using heroin and crack cocaine. He stated that he was in debt to a Pakistani male known to him as ‘Khan’ for drugs supplied to them and for a car that had been provided by Khan for his use and damaged by his brother whilst he was in prison.”
“He indicated that he was put under pressure by Khan, who was phoning him and threatening him and sending threatening text messages directed at both he and his partner too,” said the prosecutor.
She added: “He advised police that in exchange for being concerned in the supplying of drugs he was given drugs for his own use.”solicitor advocate Shahid Latif said: “He is remorseful for what he has done.”
Defence counsel Louise Arrol, for Colquhoun, said he had run up debt after starting using cannabis.
Lord Burns told Colquhoun: “I have concluded the only appropriate disposal is one of custody in your case.”
The judge said the offending had involved the transportation and meeting up with Mills over “a very considerable consignment of Class A drugs”.
Colquhoun had earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin on July 15 at the Esso Garage.