A man has been jailed after police raided a flat party in Aberdeen and recovered more than £30,000 of ketamine.
Blair Robertson, 23, Jason Baxter, 27, and Maksim Kniazkin, 25, were all within the property at Peacocks Court in Aberdeen when police arrived at the door.
Baxter and Kniazkin both tried to obstruct police by holding a door shut and attempting to flush drugs down the toilet.
But it was Robertson, whose flat they were in, who confessed to supplying ketamine, claiming that, despite the huge value, it was a non-commercial enterprise.
Fiscal depute David Ballock told Aberdeen Sheriff Court police had received intelligence that drugs were being dealt from the Peacocks Court address.
At 10.45am on February 24 last year, officers executed a drug search warrant at the property.
Tried to flush drugs
When officers entered the hallway of the property and shouted “police”, Baxter immediately tried to close the living room door to prevent their entry.
However, officers did manage to push the door open and Baxter was quickly restrained.
At this point, Kniazkin was seen running into the bathroom and locking the door.
Officers quickly forced entry and found him “attempting to flush items down the toilet” where empty bags could be seen.
Mr Ballock told the court: “Due to Baxter’s actions towards police, it is clear this gave Kniazkin the time and opportunity to dispose of drugs within the bathroom.”
Robertson was found in the living room.
All three were detained for a drugs search.
Officers discovered a ketamine with a total weight of 614g, worth between £15,340 and £30,680.
Robertson, of Peacocks Court, Aberdeen, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of ketamine.
Baxter, of Oscar Road, Aberdeen, pled guilty to intentionally obstructing police by attempting to prevent them entering the room.
No-show in court
Kniazkin, of Gateside Drive, Aberdeen, pled guilty to intentionally obstructing police by attempting to stop police entering the bathroom and attempting to flush drugs down the toilet.
Despite previously pleading guilty, Kniazkin did not appear for the sentencing hearing and a warrant was granted for his arrest.
Defence agent Stuart Murray, representing Baxter, said: “He had been partying and using ketamine and went to his friend’s house because, as he puts it, he wished to continue partying.
“He heard somebody shouting ‘police’ and stood up and pushed himself against the door.”
Mr Murray said Baxter regretted his actions and highlighted that he had caused a delay of only a few seconds before the police overpowered him.
Solicitor Jenny Logan, representing Robertson, said her client, a first offender, had invited friends over and they had been using drugs.
‘A wake-up call’
She said he had dropped out of university during the pandemic and started spiralling.
Ms Logan went on: “He started using drugs and got involved with a group of people doing the same thing.”
She added that Robertson, having lost contact with friends and family during this time, was now trying to rebuild bridges and had a child on the way having made “significant changes to his life”.
The solicitor said: “He has described being arrested for this offence as a wake-up call.
“He hadn’t fully considered the consequences of his actions or that sharing drugs with his friends would constitute this type of offence.”
Jail sentence
Sheriff Craig Findlater ordered Baxter to be supervised for six months and complete 180 hours of unpaid work.
Turning to Robertson, he said: “The weight is in excess of half a kilogram and the value is several tens of thousands of pounds.”
The sheriff said he took into account the position that he was only supplying to friends, not commercially, and that he had no previous convictions.
However, Sheriff Findlater concluded: “I can’t see that any sentence is appropriate other than a custodial one.”
He jailed Robertson for 18 months.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
