The conviction of a 21-year-old Angus man as the first in Tayside for dealing the party drug ‘bubbles’ has been highlighted as a warning that police are determined to hunt down those involved in supplying the class B drug.
Forfar first offender Ryan Nicoll avoided jail on Thursday when a sheriff told him he was in a “touch and go” situation over possible custody after being caught with £250 worth of mephedrone capsules and over £200 in cash in the town late at night last month.
Nicoll came clean with officers who pulled his car over about plans to sell the drug to “whoever phones me up” and admitted two pieces of paper found by police were lists of names he had dealt bubbles to.
His capture came just two weeks after a change in legislation outlawed the previously legal high following a series of fatalities linked to the substance methylmethcathinone.
Fiscal depute Hannah Kennedy told Forfar Sheriff Court the accused was stopped by officers on routine patrol shortly before midnight on May 1.
She said Nicoll appeared nervous and when the former mechanic’s car was searched they found one bag containing 48 mephedrone capsules and another with two capsules, as well as two separate bundles of cash, one totalling £173.
Defence agent Pauline Fraser said Nicoll was a first offender who had become depressed after leaving his job at the beginning of the year.
Miss Fraser said, “Since this incident his parents have seen a vast improvement in his attitude and they think this has come as a very sharp wake-up call to him.”Car crushedThe accused’s parents were so angry with him that they had also had his car crushed following his arrest, the solicitor added.
Sheriff Kevin Veal told Nicoll, of St Ninians Road, that he had narrowly avoided custody.
Sheriff Veal sad, “He has entered the arena of offending at a spectacularly high level.
“In the accused’s favour are the facts that this is a first offence and he has pled guilty at the outset.”
He added, “Supplying bubbles is clearly a serious matter and in this case I think the accused was involved to no small extent, as evidenced by the information that he had been in Letham, Dundee and Forfar that night.
“What troubles me even more is that he is not unintelligent. He should not, under any circumstances, be pursuing a life outwith the parameters of acceptability.”
Sheriff Veal said, “This case is a touch and go situation for immediate custody because of the extent of supply but he is only 21 years old and with hesitation I will resist pursuing that line and order him to carry out 200 hours’ community service.”
He ordered that Nicoll forfeit cash and a mobile phone, adding that he would almost certainly have ordered seizure of the car if it had still been on the road.”Clear warning”The sheriff said, “In cases of this nature in the future, if a car is part of the tools of the offender I think this might become the norm, so it is a big price to pay for being concerned in the supply of proscribed substances.”
Tayside Police drugs and surveillance chief Detective Inspector Stuart Holmes said on Thursday that this conviction should send out a firm message to those involved in the illegal bubbles trade.
He said, “This is a clear warning to others that we will relentlessly employ all lawful methods to target dealers of bubbles and their networks, no matter where they operate from, in order to protect Tayside communities from the harm caused by these illegal drugs.
“It is hoped that those who may be involved in the sale or supply of this drug are warned that we will be hunting you and, where you are caught, you will be arrested and put before the courts.”
He added, “Children and young people who think that bubbles is safe should take heed that, as with any chemical, but particularly chemicals sourced from an unlawful supply route, that they are inherently dangerous as there is no safe way of knowing the true content.
“I would urge those who have suffered from the ill-effects of these sorts of substances to seek medical help at the earliest opportunity and I would also encourage those who have an addiction to this substance to seek help from drug services to assist with recovery.”
Mr Holmes said, “I would also like to thank the general public for the vital information they provide… and I want to remind everyone that by providing such valuable information to the police it helps to gain a clear picture of the criminal activities of those involved in drug dealing and identify those posing the greatest threat, risk and harm to the communities of Tayside.”