A man who pulled 18 ecstasy tablets from his boxer shorts has admitted a charge of possession of the class A drug.
Billy Joe Fraser was spotted with glazed eyes and slow speech as he interacted with another man in the Merkinch area of Inverness.
When he appeared to take something out of his underwear police stopped and searched him, recovering the blue tablets.
Fraser, 20, admitted a single charge of possession of the class A drug at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke told the court that it was on December 19 2020 at around 7.45pm when Fraser caught the attention of police on Lochalsh Road, Inverness.
“Police witnesses observed the accused with another male. The accused appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicating substance with glazed eyes and slow in speech,” Ms Poke said.
Man reached into boxer shorts
The fiscal explained that soon after this Fraser was seen to undo the top button of his jeans and reach into his boxer shorts, before appearing to attempt to conceal something in a pocket.
He was detained for a search and officers recovered the 18 blue tablets that were later found to be ecstasy.
Following this discovery police officers took Fraser back to Burnett Road Police Station where a further strip search was carried out.
Ms Poke told the court that the value of the drugs recovered was £180.
Defence solicitor Rory Gowans, for Fraser, told the court that his client is a father of one with no previous drug convictions and no other offending recorded this year.
He said the possession charge before the court represented an “act of folly” on Fraser’s behalf, which would leave him with a conviction for a class A drug.
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald fined Fraser, of Huntly Place, Inverness, £500.
