A man who agreed to look after a safe containing drugs worth more than £17,000 has been jailed for three years.
Arthur Harvey kept the safe for a friend, who is now deceased, in his girlfriend’s house.
He told police he didn’t know it contained heroin but admitted he thought it probably contained drug money from previous deals.
He was convicted at Dundee Sheriff Court of being concerned in the supply of heroin worth more than £17,000.
Harvey, of Dryburgh Gardens, admitted the offence, which took place on June 20 last year, on Yarrow Terrace.
The court was told Harvey had previous convictions for assault, breach of the peace, breach of community payback order, misuse of drugs, theft and fraud.
Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson said police acting on information attended the home of Harvey’s girlfriend Sandra Craig, his former co-accused whose plea of not guilty was accepted by the Crown.
Both Harvey and Craig were in the house along with an associate and police found scales and a bag containing brown powder, which was heroin, and traces of the drug were found on one set of scales.
The safe was then found in the bedroom and it was forced open by officers, who discovered several bags of brown powder, found to be heroin and weighing a total of 346 grammes, worth a maximum of £17,000 if cut into £10 bags.
Solicitor Jim Caird, defending, said Harvey had a drug problem on and off over the years. He said he was persuaded by his friend, Michael Horsburgh, to look after the safe.
“It wasn’t even his house but he appreciates how stupid he was,” Mr Caird said, adding that his friend was being bullied and threatened by people in the drug scene.
Mr Caird said there had been arguments over the safe the previous night but Harvey assumed there was only money in it.
“He knew however that this matter was entirely connected with drugs, but he had no idea what was in the safe apart from money,” the lawyer added.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael told Harvey he had admitted a very serious offence and only a custodial sentence was appropriate.
He jailed Harvey for 36 months, reduced from 48 months to reflect his early plea of guilty.
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