widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

Court / Jail for woman involved in supply of heroin

A WOMAN has been imprisoned for 15 months for her part in supplying heroin from her house in Lerwick.

Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday how Yvonne Duncan had played a part in supplying the class A drug when police found her opening a packet in her bedroom containing 6.81 grammes of diamorphine (heroin).

During the search of Duncan’s South Road house in Lerwick, officers discovered a bigger cache of the drug (83.76 grammes) in an ottoman at the foot of her bed on 8 January last year.

The police, who had been acting on a tip-off, also found a non-functioning set of scales with traces of heroin and a Tupperware box with re-sealable plastic bags.

The total value of the drugs was put at from £2,221 to over £7,000, depending on how it was packaged and re-sold.

Duncan had pleaded guilty to the offence at an earlier hearing.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

Duncan’s defence agent, notable QC Donald Findlay, said that his 47-year-old client had been guilty of an omission rather than an act. It was accepted by the Crown that receipt of the drug was her only involvement in its supply.

Findlay said that Duncan had “begun to have concerns” over her ex-partner’s use of heroin in 2015. These were confirmed following a tragedy at sea, for which he was imprisoned.

Findlay said the ex-partner was eventually stabbed over a suspected drug debt and that fear of her ex-partner and of those he might owe money to had made her go along with the plan.

She had also overheard a conversation where he had been arranging to have the drugs sent to her address.

Findlay said that Duncan was under no illusion about the seriousness of the offence. He suggested that she could afford to pay a fine or could complete a non-custodial disposal.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said that being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug was a serious matter. Her criminal justice social work report confirmed that she had never used the drug and was aware of the harm it caused in the community.

He accepted that Duncan’s involvement did not go beyond a single day but that had to be balanced against the fact she knew about the drug delivery that was being arranged and was suspicious about the packet.

He also considered that Duncan was under a degree of pressure but her inactivity was aimed at turning her home into a “safe house” for the operation.

The sheriff concluded that the only appropriate sentence was imprisonment and jailed Duncan for 15 months.

If you have been affected by crime, help is available. Whether you are victim, a witness, or the accused, you can find independent, impartial, and confidential support in Shetland.

For victims of general crime:

For anyone affected by crime & harm seeking a restorative approach:

For anyone affected by gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, sexual assault, and rape:

Shetland Women’s Aid

Phone: 01595 692070
Web: https://www.shetlandwa.org
Email: office@shetlandwa.org

The Compass Centre (Shetland Rape Crisis)

Phone: 01595 744402 or 08088 010302
Web: https://www.compasscentre.org
Email: contact@compasscentre.org

For anyone affected by substance use:

Shetland Recovery Hub and Community Network

Phone: 01595 744402
Web: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075791869200
Email: recoveryhub@shetland.gov.uk

Shetland Alcohol & Drug Partnership

Phone: 01595 743060 or 07342 077789
Web: https://shetlandadp.org.uk
Email: shet.sadp@nhs.scot

Substance Use Recovery Service

Phone: 01595 743006

 
widget/exchange-62widget/pd_widget-6widget/exchange-53widget/pd_widget-7widget/exchange-63widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Audience Survey for Shetland News

Tell us what you think and win £100!

This survey is run by a UK charity, the Public Interest News Foundation. We exist to support independent news providers.

Your answers will power important research. We will share aggregated and anonymous answers with your news provider. And we will produce an overarching UK-wide report, which will be available on our website.

To enter the £100 prize draw, complete the survey and enter your email at the end.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.