An Angus woman who admitted supplying a now-banned so-called legal high has escaped jail following a “sea change” in her offending behaviour.
Nadine Hume from Arbroath appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court on an indictment alleging the supply of methylmethcathinone in 2012.
The compound of cathinone, which occurs naturally in the intoxicant khat, is synthesised as “bath salts” and was made illegal in 2010 along with other legal highs such as mephedrone.
The court heard Hume’s position was that she was storing the drugs for an ex-partner in October that year and had been waiting for him to return for them when police came to her house on Glenogil Drive.
Hume’s solicitor said there was “a significant history” to the charge and there had been a “sea change” in his client’s lifestyle and behaviour since the offence, which she pleaded guilty to in July 2013.
She was initially placed on a high-tariff structured deferred sentence by Sheriff Paterson at Arbroath, which had been further deferred on a number of instances.
Her agent added: “There have been no fewer than seven sentences deferred or other diets involved.
“She has in essence been of good behaviour since October 2012.
“Every report before your lordship has been increasingly positive.”
The solicitor added: “She has demonstrated over the course of three years she has completely moved away from offending, completely moved away from drugs. To impose a punitive element in the sentence is not giving Ms Hume credit for her behaviour so far.
“This is a deferred sentence that has gone on to years rather than weeks or months.”
Imposing a six-month community payback order with 90 hours of unpaid work, Sheriff Gregor Murray said he recognised what the solicitor had said.
“The court was to some extent forced to go down that route by another case,” he added.
Hume admitted being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug derived from class B drug cathinone at her home address on October 19 2012.