A Scots soldier caught dealing high purity cocaine worth up to £47,000 was today jailed for three-and-a-half years.
George Hunt was serving as a gunner in the First Royal Horse Artillery when he began dealing the class A drug.
Just a week after he was discharged from the Army in October last year for failing a drugs test police, acting on a tip-off, stopped him at a set of traffic lights in Dundee’s Duncan Place.
They searched his car and found a 125 gram bag of 75% purity cocaine – far stronger than the 10% pure drug commonly found on the streets.
Officers also found two kilos of a bulking agent used to cut the drug into smaller deals – meaning he could have turned the substances into drugs worth up to £46,850.
Hunt last year dodged jail over the charge after a sheriff cited combat stress as the reason for taking an “exceptional course” in handing him a community payback order.
Sheriff Alastair Brown said Hunt’s judgement had been affected by his post traumatic stress disorder from serving in Afghanistan.
But after repeatedly flouting that order he was hauled back to court today and jailed.
Fiscal depute John Adams told Dundee Sheriff Court: “Texts were found on his phone which suggest supply to others between September 10 and the date of his arrest.
“In six of those exchanges other people proactively want him to supply, while in four others it is him who proactively approaches them.
“In one he says not to go to a person named ‘Ben’ as he has got ‘different stuff’.
“He says he ‘got it from Aberdeen’ and can ‘get pure’.
“He also references having ‘council’ which drugs officers state refers to high purity drugs.”
Hunt, 23, of Helmsdale Avenue, Dundee, pleaded guilty on indictment to being concerned in the supply of drugs in September and October 2016.
He further admitted charges of dangerous driving and driving without insurance.
Solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin, defending, said Hunt’s last tour of duty in Afghanistan had led him to turn to drink and drugs as a coping mechanism.
He said: “He is trying – in every sense of the word.
“He recently spent three-and-a-half weeks in custody on another matter and that was eye opening for him.
“I’ve indicated to him that a lengthy imprisonment may be at the forefront of the court’s mind every time he appears.”
Sheriff Alastair Brown jailed Hunt for three years and six months.
He said: “When you first appeared in relation to the drug trafficking offence I took an exceptional course.
“I have continued to give you opportunities to co-operate and participate in various things on offer.
“I recognise your personal history is difficult and that that probably explains why you have not entirely engaged properly.
“But that fact is you haven’t.
“What I’m being invited to do is to try again the things that have not succeeded so far.
“You were concerned in supplying drugs in a serious way.”
Hunt was also banned from driving for two years on the dangerous driving charge.