A drug trafficker who was caught with heroin and crack cocaine worth more than £120,000 on the streets was jailed for three years and nine months today.
Police carried out a drugs raid at Paul White’s home and discovered he had left to go to the bookies. After they detained him, he told them: “There is about nine grand in the car.”
A judge told the 50-year-old at the High Court in Edinburgh: “The trafficking in Class A drugs is a vile and evil crime.”
Lord Boyd of Duncansby said it brought misery to those who became addicted to the drugs and communities were blighted by the abuse.
He told White: “It is clear your involvement was more than just storage or acting as a courier.”
He added: “I have to say the impression I am left with is you are a man who wishes to minimise his own involvement and to blame others.”
Lord Boyd told White that he would have faced a five-year sentence but the prison term would be reduced following his guilty plea.
The judge said he accepted that White had taken steps to address his own drug addiction.
Grandfather White of Glashieburn Way, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of both Class drugs between September 11 and October 12 last year.
The court heard that police had received intelligence that he was involved in the supply of drugs within the Aberdeen area and that he stored them at his home address.
Officers armed with a search warrant attended at his home on October 12 and found a hatch under the carpet which contained a holdall. Inside the bag they recovered quantities of heroin and cocaine.
They also discovered a note pad with references to “white sugar” and “brown sugar” _ street names for crack cocaine and heroin _ which indicated that various quantities had been taken away. Further cocaine was found in a bedroom.
White was not home at the time but police were told he had left shortly before they arrived and was at a local bookmaker.
He was traced to Westfield Park, in Bridge of Don, and detained. He was searched and found to have a small quantity of heroin and £880 in cash. He was also found to have a car key and revealed there was further money in the vehicle.
Police found the car at a sports centre car park and found £8,040 wrapped in eight bundles inside a rucksack.
The court heard that nearly 400g of heroin was recovered with a maximum street value of £38,700 along with 836g of cocaine which could have made up to £83,320 on the streets.
Defence counsel Derick Nelson said that White had a long-standing drug problem but was now on a methadone programme.
He said White had been put under pressure to become involved in the drug offending and added: “He bitterly regrets the fact that he did act in the way he did.”
The Crown served papers on White to seize any profits of crime.