A drugs courier who was snared on the Tay Road Bridge with more than £25,000 worth of cocaine has been locked up.
John Campbell’s Renault Clio was stopped by multiple police vehicles as he drove into Dundee on September 21 2023.
Officers seized the Class A haul after acting on a tip-off Campbell was couriering the drugs from Fife.
A woman fell to her knees in tears in the public gallery at Dundee Sheriff Court when Campbell was hit with a prison term.
The court was told previously how resurfacing works were ongoing at the time of the incident, with the northbound carriageway subject to a 30mph speed limit.
Police had obtained information Campbell, of the city’s Forest Park Place, was travelling with a “large quantity” of drugs.
Fiscal depute Andrew Brown said: “Police followed the vehicle at a distance until it was committed to travelling north on the Tay Road Bridge.
“Further police vehicles attended and indicated for the red Renault Clio to pull in.
“The vehicle stopped compliantly with the accused found to be the driver and another person in the passenger seat.”
The car was searched and officers uncovered a black bag containing white powder, a mobile phone and a bag containing Campbell’s bank card, passport and driving licence.
The cocaine weighed 252.38g and had a maximum potential street value of £25,200 if sold in 1g deals.
Campbell, 42, gave a saliva sample which tested positive for cocaine, with a compound of the drug found in his system following a blood test, as well as cannabis.
He pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug and driving with excess drugs in his system and returned to court following the preparation of a social work report.
Solicitor Kevin Hampton said his client was fit to perform unpaid work but understood a prison sentence was highly likely.
Campbell was jailed for 16 months and disqualified from driving for 20 months.
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