A man has been handed unpaid work after being caught dealing cocaine to his pals – because it was his turn to buy.
Craig Stephenson, 58, regularly took cocaine with friends and claims whoever was buying the drug purchased enough for the whole group.
Acting on a tip-off police raided Stephenson’s rural home last year and he was caught with hundreds of pounds worth of the class A drug.
Fiscal depute Sean Ambrose told Aberdeen Sheriff Court cops received intelligence suggesting Stephenson was drug dealing and a search warrant was executed at his Maryculter home at 8.10am on February 7 2020.
Entry was forced to the property and two people were found inside. A systematic search of the home was then carried out.
Officers discovered a package containing 7.56g of cocaine, worth a maximum of £750, as well as two smaller packages containing under a gram of the drug each.
They also found various drug paraphernalia.
Mr Ambrose added that in his police interview, Stephenson admitted purchasing cocaine and “selling on to friends for a small profit”.
Stephenson, of South Deeside Road, Maryculter, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine on August 9 2019 and February 7 2020.
‘It was his turn’
Defence solicitor Mike Monro said: “This is a classic situation of ‘social supply’ between the accused and other, dare I suggest, like-minded persons.
“The situation is the accused enjoys a lifestyle, if I can describe it as that, where he, in social situations, accepts that he takes cocaine with like-minded people.”
Mr Monro said whoever needed to get cocaine for themselves would contact the dealer and buy for the rest.
“It was his turn to deal with it,” he added.
Mr Monro said the incident was “not a money-making exercise”, adding: “He is well aware as to the seriousness of a concern in the supply charge, particularly of a class A drug.
“He knew fine well enough when entering into this ‘arrangement’ that if someone gets caught they have to suffer the consequences.”
Sheriff Lesley Johnston told Stephenson: “I have noted that you accept total responsibility for the offence, however this is obviously an offence that required some significant foresight.
“I’m concerned there’s reference in the social work report to perhaps not acknowledging the wider harm done by drug supply to society in general.”
She ordered Stephenson to complete 225 hours of unpaid work and imposed supervision for 12 months and a seven-month curfew.
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