A drug dealer who had cannabis worth up to £23,844 at her Fort William home has been ordered to complete unpaid work in the community.
Police found the drug at Keirein Morrison’s Caol home, along with £4,500 in cash and a notepad believed to contain a “tick list”.
The first offender cooperated fully with officers as they searched the property – even telling them where to find the contraband.
Morrison, 31, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted a single charge of being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
At the earlier hearing, fiscal depute Emily Hood said on July 22 2022 officers executed a search warrant at Morrison’s home in Mackenzie Court, Caol, near Fort William.
She said: “The accused was read and shown the search warrant, at which point she stated she did have cannabis within the address and was forthcoming about the location of it.”
Search found ‘bags of cash’
The search turned up “various bags of cash and herbal material” in the bedroom, kitchen and hallway of the property.
Officers also found a notebook in the bedroom, which contained notations believed to be a tick list.
Ms Hood told Sheriff Gary Aitken that the total quantity of cannabis recovered from Morrison’s home was 1589.6 grams.
She said that the amount of the class B drug “had a potential value of between £15,896 and £23,844 if sold in gram deals at street level”.
The court heard £4,500 in cash was also recovered.
Solicitor Mhyrin Hill for Morrison of Kilmallie Road, Caol, told the court that there was “no real explanation” for her client’s behaviour, but explained that Morrison had been a single parent with financial concerns when she decided to become involved in the enterprise.
She added: “She has currently distanced herself from it.”
First offender was ‘extremely remorseful’
She said her client – who was a first offender at the time – was “extremely remorseful regarding ever becoming involved” and wished to “express her regret to the court”.
Hearing that Morrison had since set up a business, Sheriff Gary Aitken told her: “As you have hopefully now found, if you are having financial difficulties starting up a legitimate business is a much better idea rather than dealing drugs.”
He told Morrison she was “exceedingly close to the point where a custodial sentence would be inevitable” but instead placed her on a community payback order with two years of supervision and 225 hours of unpaid work in the community.
He granted a confiscation order for the £4,500 and ordered other items seized in the search to be forfeited.