A brazen drug dealer has been jailed after he admitted selling fake Valium in the doorway of a Dundee city centre shop in broad daylight.
Jamie Ottaway, 36, was caught in the act as he sold the drugs to a man outside H Samuel’s on Reform Street on January 17.
Police found him to be in possession of 302 Etizolam tablets, a lock-knife and £215 in wads of £10 and £5 notes.
Ottaway tried to convince officers the money had been given to him by relatives so he could buy a hat.
Fiscal depute Nicola Gillespie told Dundee Sheriff Court the police CCTV network had noticed Ottoway in conversation with another man.
They stepped into the doorway of H Samuel’s and Ottoway was seen to put his hand down towards his trousers and take out a package, which he handed to his companion, who then left.
Officers traced Ottoway in the city centre at 3.15pm and he was taken to police headquarters for a strip search.
The fiscal depute said: “He was drowsy and was slurring his speech. He said to police he had consumed 40 Valiums.
“There was £215 in his wallet. He said he received that from generous family members and it was intended for buying a hat.
“The person who was involved with the accused at H Samuel’s said he had bought 20 tablets and paid £10 for them.”
Defence solicitor Paul Parker Smith said Ottaway, a prisoner at Perth, had a string of convictions for drug possession and had turned to dealing in order to feed his own habit.
He added: “Mr Ottaway is an individual who has struggled with an addiction over a number of years.
“What had happened was, shortly before this incident, he had been taken off his Suboxone (an opioid used to treat drug addiction).
“Mr Ottaway yielded to the cravings and resorted to dealing street Valium in order to support his own habit for the drug.
“Since he has been remanded he is back on Suboxone.
“The lock-knife was attached to a key ring and he didn’t know it was illegal, if the blade is smaller than three inches.”
Ottaway was jailed for 14 months, backdated to January 14.
