A Moray woman caught with nearly £55,000 worth of heroin in her home has told a court she had no idea the drugs were worth so much.
Police found the huge stash of the Class A drug when they raided Jane Sandison’s house on November 24 last year.
More than 644 grams of the substance was found in a convenience store carrier bag and a parcel wrapped in brown tape.
However, when questioned by police, the 56-year-old insisted she had no knowledge the drugs were worth so much or that she even knew that heroin was inside – despite admitting she was paid to store them.
Defence solicitor Stephen Carty told Elgin Sheriff Court a man had exerted “influence and control” over his client by exploiting her own habit and the recent death of her sister.
Yesterday Sandison was told it was “highly possible” she would be sent to prison after she admitted being involved in the supply of drugs.
Fiscal depute Kevin Corrins said the woman’s home was empty and unlocked when officers arrived to search the property.
The two drugs packages were found in a bedroom with empty packaging, paper containing notes and a mobile phone nearby.
Mr Corrins revealed that the heroin seized would have had a street value of £54,670.
He said: “The accused spoke throughout the interview with police and said she was indeed collecting and storing drugs for a male.
“She said the male would attend regularly at her address to cut up the drugs and ask her to pack them up to sell to others.”
The court heard that after being arrested by police, Mrs Sandison told officers: “I was not selling it. I was just holding on to it.
“I didn’t realise how much I was holding on to. I was led to believe it was just dope.”
Mr Carty said someone more senior in the drug ring than his client had taken advantage of her situation to “exploit” her into storing the drugs in exchange of money.
He added: “The situation at the time of the offence was that she was in the grip of her own addiction and her sister had just passed away. She was at a particularly low ebb.
“What we have here is a situation where she has been exploited by someone much further up the chain than her, who is known to the police locally.
“She knew, of course, that what she was dealing with was drugs and she knew that she shouldn’t have become involved.”
Sandison, of Hossack Drive, Elgin, pleaded guilty to a single charge of being involved in the supply of heroin between November 15 and November 24 last year.
Sentence was deferred until September 20 for reports to be prepared.