A Perthshire drug dealer in his seventies has been jailed for 30 months after stashing nearly £90,000 of heroin inside a pair of dirty shorts.
John Williamson’s DNA was clearly identified on the inside of a pair of blue striped shorts in which the drugs were wrapped, Perth Sheriff Court was told.
A jury heard that if the 73-year-old had washed the shorts then the haul could not have been clearly linked to him
Williamson, Manse Crescent, Stanley, was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of diamorphine at his home on December 23, 2014.
The jury was told that, on a shelf in a cupboard, the drugs were found inside a box wrapped in a leopard print dress.
Inside the box were 13 packages of heroin folded up inside Williamson’s shorts and the haul of drugs was said to have a potential street value of £88,000.
Scottish Police Authority forensic scientist Barry Mitchell told the trial that there was potentially a different person’s DNA on the outside to the inside of the shorts.
He said: “There was a mixed profile, indicating that there was DNA from more than one person. The DNA on the inside of the shorts may have arisen from the wearer of the shorts.
“There was a major contributor. We established that John Williamson could be that male major contributor.”
Depute fiscal Gavin Letford stated that the evidence against Williamson was circumstantial and there was no dispute the drugs had been found at his home.
He said it was also beyond dispute that the amount involved, almost a kilogramme, meant it was being stored for onward supply.
Mr Letford said: “The accused’s DNA was found on the shorts. They were the shorts used to wrap up these 13 packages. That is not disputed.
“The only DNA on the shorts that found a match belonged to John Williamson. They were his shorts and they were used to wrap up these packages.
“It can be reasonably inferred that he used his house to store drugs and used his house as a safe house. He knew these drugs were stored in the cupboard.”
Sheriff Fiona Tait told Williamson: “I have the benefit of a criminal justice social work report and the benefit of a report from your general practitioner.
“I am not persuaded having regard to the nature of the offence and value involved that there is any alternative to a custodial sentence.”