A Fraserburgh pensioner who turned to drug dealing as a way of helping his struggling son has been warned he could have faced prison.
Alexander Strachan, 70, came to the attention of police in Fraserburgh on January 7 this year when they spotted him in a car at about 2.30am.
On that occasion, he had more than £1,000 stashed in his jacket pocket, which prompted officers to raid his Mid Street home.
He appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court today and was told he would now not be allowed to leave his house between 7pm and 7am.
More cash in his home
Fiscal depute Lydia Williams told the court the constables’ earlier interaction with Strachan had prompted them to seek warrants to search his home.
“They recovered a tub containing a brown substance,” she said.
In addition, £200 was found in his jacket pocket, £6,000 was being stored in an upstairs safe, and another tub containing the same brown substance – later analysed to be diamorphine – was taken from a hall cupboard.
In total, the drugs had a street value of £800.
Strachan’s defence agent, Sam Milligan, said the case posed an “interesting” question about how a pensioner with a “relatively minor” record would turn to dealing drugs.
‘Pressure was being placed’
The answer was because Strachan’s son was himself in trouble, the lawyer told the court.
Mr Milligan said: “This man has, in a misguided sense, attempted to assist his son with a chronic and significant problem.
“Pressure was being placed upon Mr Strachan’s son.
“It would appear to me a restriction of liberty order would be the most appropriate way to deal with things.”
Ahead of being sentenced to a period of curfew, Sheriff Robert McDonald warned Strachan that he could have expected to be sent to prison due to the nature of the offence.
“While being able to understand why you embarked on this, it is very foolish on your part,” he said.
“Any penalty I impose has to be as an alternative to a custodial sentence.”
Strachan, who only spoke to confirm his name during the case, will now be electronically tagged to monitor his movements for the next eight months.