A man turned to dealing to fund his £160-a-day cocaine habit – just three months after being introduced to the drug by friends.
Jahed Rahman was caught with more than £2,000 worth of cocaine, as well as nearly £500 of ketamine.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the 24-year-old had started taking cocaine at the weekends at parties.
But within three months, his use of the drug had spiralled out of control and he was spending £160 every day to feed his addiction.
‘He funded his own habit by selling’
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann told the court Rahman was caught with various packages of cocaine with a total value of £2,180, and ketamine worth between £360 and £480.
Rahman, of Rosemount Square, Aberdeen, pled guilty to charges of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and ketamine.
The offences were committed on November 28 2018.
Defence agent Gregor Kelly said: “He was introduced to it by friends and began using cocaine at parties at the weekend.
“Within three months it escalated to him using £160 worth of the drug per day largely by himself, the party long having since stopped.
“He didn’t have the foresight to see he was using it as a coping mechanism for his poor mental health.”
Mr Kelly added: “Drugs were laid on for him to sell. He funded his own habit by selling.”
‘You have taken steps to improve your life’
However, the solicitor explained that Rahman, a first-offender, was now abstaining from drugs and no longer mixed with the same peer group.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Rahman: “I can say that if you were several years older, the strong likelihood is that you would receive a custodial sentence for these offences because being concerned in the supply of class A drugs is a serious matter and you had with you on the day in question a very substantial quantity of cocaine.
“But I note that you committed these offences when you were 19 years of age.
“You have no other previous convictions and it seems that since November 2018 you have taken steps to improve your life and you have reasonably good prospects as I understand it.”
The sheriff handed Rahman six months supervision and 200 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.
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