A reveller was caught with £1,400 worth of cocaine and heroin – after leaving the drugs in his jacket which he forgot in an Aberdeen bar.
Albert Damean left his jacket behind on a chair in Jam Jar while enjoying a night out with pals in the city centre.
The 20-year-old, who had packed his jacket full of drugs for him and his friends, was caught out when a bouncer spotted the garment on the chair and put in behind the bar for safekeeping.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court previously heard a crown narration of the facts which stated: “The locus is a public bar. The accused went there at around 11pm on February 28 2019 with three friends to drink and socialise.
“They left just after midnight.
“At around 12.30am a body warmer was found lying unattended on a seat by a member of staff. He put it behind the bar for safekeeping.
“He went through the pockets later looking for identification. He found a bag of suspected drugs and a set of scales.
“The police were contacted.
“Shortly after, the accused was seen looking for his body warmer in the bar. He asked staff if they had seen it.
“They told him what they found in the body warmer and that police had been contacted.
“Staff were then approached by a friend of the accused who asked them if they had seen his friend’s jacket. Staff confirmed they had it but that the accused would have to come and collect it
“The accused asked for his jacket back. He was given it without the items found in it.
“Another friend of the accused said to staff ‘give the stuff back and nothing will happen to you’.
“He has not been traced.
“Another friend of the accused said ‘they have all our food’. It is understood this may be a euphemism for controlled drugs.”
The cocaine found was worth up to £1,060, and the heroin £340.
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Damean previously pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin, and also admitted failing to comply with a bail condition.
Defence agent Mike Monro said the incident showed his client’s “naivety and stupidy” as well as “ineptitude”.
The solicitor said: “Earlier that day the accused, being the best connected person of the group, had gone and obtained class A drugs.
“These drugs were to be used by the accused but also by his friends.”
Mr Monro said his client had not planned to sell drugs to others.
He said: “His ineptitude is shown by the fact the drugs were in the inside pocket of his outer clothing when he and his friends were in Jam Jar.
“The accused was in there with his friends, takes off his outer jacket and puts it over the back of a chair.
“He then relaxes in the licenced premises consuming alcohol.
“One of the door staff observed it being there for some time and so for safekeeping he took it and put it behind the bar.
“The accused then goes to leave. He then remembers his jacket.”
Mr Monro said Damean then left with the jacket, but not the drugs.
He went on: “The idiocy and naivety of my client is evidenced when 10 days later he goes down to Queen Street HQ because he’s subject to a signing on order.
“What’s he wearing? Precisely the outer jacket he wore on the night in question.
“A police officer who had viewed the CCTV of the Jam Jar incident instantly recognises the jacket and recognises the accused. That is how the accused was arrested.”
Sheriff William Summers told Damean, a prisoner of HMYOI Polmont: “The drug supply charges in particular are very serious and often result in a custodial sentence.
“I have listened to what Mr Monro has said on your behalf. I recognise you were not involved in commercial supply of these drugs.”
The sheriff handed Damean an 18-month supervision order, 80 hours of unpaid work and a three month restriction of liberty order.
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