Drug dealing “gambit” leads to prison

A LERWICK man who invested his inheritance in heroin to smuggle it back into Shetland to profit from its sale was jailed for three years at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday.

Andrew Gibson, of 41 Hoofields, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug when he was arrested by police acting on a tip off after he came off the ferry from Aberdeen at Holmsgarth Road on 7 February.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told the court the 36 year old had embarked on “an entrepreneurial gambit” after inheriting money, travelled to Ayrshire where he purchased 187 grammes of heroin worth up to £8,000.

He could have earned a total of £18,700 by selling it in small deals on the streets of Shetland, the fiscal said.

Defending, James Swinburne said Gibson had cooperated with the police and produced the drugs that he had concerned internally.

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He added that though he had five previous drugs offences, only one involved dealing and that had been giving his girlfriend a small quantity of heroin.

Sheriff Philip Mann told Gibson: “It’s been said many times from this bench in this court anyone who concerns themselves in the supply of controlled drugs has to expect a custodial sentence.”

He reduced the sentence from 54 to 36 months because he had pled guilty from the outset, but said four months had been added as the offence was committed while Gibson was on bail for an assault charge to which he is pleading not guilty in the court at Kilmarnock.