A grandfather was jailed for more than five and a half years today after being caught dealing in Class A drugs for a third time.
Police found Richard Taylor at a flat in Aberdeen with cocaine worth more than £27,000 on the streets and heroin valued at £9,300 if it was broken down into tenner street deals.
Taylor, 43, was also discovered to have about £350 in cash in a bag and one of his socks during a search at the property.
A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh said: “You have pleaded guilty by section 76 procedure to two charges of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs on a single day.”
Lord Doherty pointed out that Taylor has twice been jailed at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for similar offending.
He was liable for a seven-year sentence of imprisonment under “three strikes” legislation.
But the judge said he would restrict Taylor’s sentence to one of five years and 219 days imprisonment following his early guilty pleas.
‘He has asked me to apologise to the court’
Taylor admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine on March 4 this year at the property in Great Northern Road, in Aberdeen.
Advocate depute Brian Gill KC said police received intelligence that Taylor was at the address and went to enforce a warrant.
But when they arrived officers noted that he had brown powder residue on his clothing which was found to contain traces of heroin. Cocaine and heroin were found in bags.
Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson said Taylor, from Croydon, in London, was a father of three and has recently become a grandfather. He said: “He has not seen his grandchild.”
He said Taylor has long-standing addiction problems and ran up debt.
“Unfortunately, because of the debt he got himself involved again in drug offending,” he said.
“He has asked me to apologise to the court for being back in court and on drug supply charges.”
Taylor, who followed the court proceedings via a TV link to jail, had his sentence backdated to March 5.
