A heroin dealer who used a woman as a drug mule has been sentenced to two and a half years’ imprisonment.
David Courtney was caught by police officers near Auchterarder as he and accomplice Amanda Fleming made their way through Perthshire in a taxi.
The 32-year-old, from Dundee, was in possession of a small package of cannabis at the time, but Fleming was later found to have secreted a far more significant package of heroin within her body.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that the drugs discovered had amounted to 105 grammes, with a street value in the region of £10,500.
Courtney already has an extensive criminal record, including three previous drugs convictions.
The most serious of those €” that of possessing cannabis with intent to supply €” earned him seven months imprisonment.
Solicitor Ian Houston said his client’s new partner had been “shocked and disappointed” to discover that he was involved in drug dealing and “devastated” to see him convicted.
“She is a woman of good character with no criminal record, and while she knew that he was an occasional user of cannabis she had no idea that he was involved in anything like this.
“They have a new child together and he will find it very difficult to be deprived of playing a part in their upbringing.”
Mr Houston said his client had harboured faint hopes of avoiding a custodial sentence, but told the court he’d advised Courtney it would be “naive” to believe that he could dodge prison.
“He has an extensive record, though the vast majority, however, relate to road traffic offences, including driving while disqualified, together with offences of dishonesty.
“Most of those dishonest activities were as a result of his efforts to feed what was formerly a cocaine habit and now purely a cannabis habit.
“The quantity of heroin in this case was substantial”.