A drug dealer caught with £5,000 worth of cocaine and around £3,000 in cash during a police raid said the drugs were for him and his friends to take on a stag weekend in Prague.
However, Paul Connelly, 28, of Balunie Avenue, Dundee, also told social workers he had organised the purchase for the group as he was “the man to go to” for drugs.
Despite that, the court was told he did not accept he was a drug dealer and viewed himself as the “patsy”, despite the fact he admitted he was using class A drugs to the extent of £150 at a time.
Connelly was jailed for 15 months by Sheriff George Way on Monday after admitting that on March 9 2013, at Balunie Avenue, he was concerned in the supply of cocaine.
Acting on a drugs search warrant, a team of seven police officers had gone to Connelly’s home, which he shared with his partner.
He was not there at the time, but his partner was, and during the search police found 103.8 grammes of cocaine, worth around £5,000.
They also found more than £3,738 in cash, scales and other drugs paraphernalia, Ms Bruce said.
Connelly’s partner was arrested but released without charge she was “oblivious” to his drug involvement.
The sheriff court heard that at the time of his arrest he was “heavily” under the influence of drink or drugs and “unfit” for a police interview until the following day.
Solicitor Ann Johnson said: “He was nominated to purchase the drug for a stag weekend in Prague as he had purchased it before for personal use.
“It wasn’t until this offence came to light he realised he had a problem with the substance. His partner was oblivious to this problem.”
A social work report brought before Sheriff Way found that Connelly did not consider the offence to be drug dealing. Instead, he thought of it as part of his role in organising the stag do.
Sheriff Way said: “As well as the significant amount of drugs found, he also had bags, scales and paraphernalia usually used for dealing.
“It may be that was because it had to be split up, because nobody but a loon would try to take that amount of drugs into the Czech Republic as they have a very different view of that to us, but that is all part of the parcel.
“For anyone who gets involved in possessing a Class A drug to this extent, and money, and paraphernalia, even if it is to dispense to others, there can be no alternative to custody.”