A university student who peddled drugs to fund a luxury lifestyle has been given a chance to avoid jail after a court heard he was under 25 at the time.
Abertay University Business student Duncan Scott was caught with a haul of cannabis and cocaine worth nearly £20,000 in his flat.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that Scott was enjoying the trappings of the lifestyle he was able to afford because of the money he was making from peddling drugs around the city.
But Sheriff Alistair Carmichael deferred sentence for six months for Scott to attend the Right Track programme for young offenders and told him he would avoid jail if he completed the course.
‘Embroiled’ in drugs trade
Solicitor Anika Jethwa, defending, said: “At the time he was 21 and the Young Person’s Sentencing Guidelines come into force here.
“He is a young man with a great deal of potential. He was at university and was obviously suspended because of these offences.
“He was taking cannabis and gave a full and frank account of how he became embroiled.
“He accepts he was getting used to the money, but was in a situation where he was finding it difficult to stop.”
She added: “He comes from a good family.
“This has caused his family a great deal of upset and distress. He is a personable and intelligent young man.”
Right track programme
Sheriff Carmichael told Scott: “You were 21 and are now 24 and haven’t been in trouble since.
“Without any promises whatsoever, I’m going to impose a six-month structured deferred sentence.
“You will go on Right Track and if you come back with a positive report then I will probably find a non-custodial way to deal with this.”
Scott was in the midst of completing a Business degree at Abertay University when he started making money peddling drugs around Dundee.
Members of the student’s family wept in court as he admitted he had secretly been dealing drugs on the side for more than a year.
Scott, 24, admitted peddling a compound known as 2CB between June 13 2019 and October 31, 2020. He was selling it as ecstasy.
He also admitted dealing cannabis from December 31 2019 and cocaine from March 5 2020, until he was caught on Halloween 2020.
Night-time patrols
Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan told Dundee Sheriff Court: “He was a business student at Abertay University at the time of the offences.
“He lived on his own in Perth Road, Dundee. Officers were doing after-dark patrols in the city when they observed a vehicle turn into a car park.
“It was seen to be parked with the engine running and a male heading towards it. He turned around upon seeing the arrival of the police.”
The car was being driven by former co-accused Umar Kamran, 22, and smelled strongly of cannabis when officers approached. Kamran had not guilty pleas accepted by the Crown.
The officers found more than £1,000 cash on Scott, who was in the passenger seat, along with a significant haul of cocaine and cannabis. There was also a set of scales in the car.
Scott immediately confessed: “I’m studying at Abertay University and staying on my own. If you go there you will find half a kilo of cannabis and other stuff.”
During a search of the property, detectives recovered cannabis worth £12,277, cocaine worth £4,590 and 165 tablets being sold as ecstasy at £10 each.
It was during an examination of Scott’s phone that it emerged he had been ramping up his dealing operation from ecstasy, to also include cannabis and then cocaine.
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