‘Last chance saloon’ community payback order for heroin supply offence

A MAN who admitted being concerned on the supply of heroin has been given a community payback order – leading to his mother suggesting from the public benches that prison would have been the better option.

Alexander Chalmers, of Gott, previously admitted being concerned on the supply of class A diamorphine on or between 5 and 12 May last year.

Lerwick Sheriff Court previously heard that police had found the 33-year-old with heroin with a potential maximum value of £390, nearly £1,700 in cash and two mobile phones.

When the phones were analysed it was clear Chalmers had been making arrangements for the sale of diamorphine, the court had heard.

The court was told on Wednesday that a social work report had suggested a community payback order could be a suitable sentence.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank sided with this recommendation, as an alternative to custody, and ordered Chalmers to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in addition to being placed under supervision for 15 months.

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But after his sentence was delivered his mother spoke up to say “it’s not going to work”.

Defence agent Tommy Allan had told court that a non-custodial sentence would be a “last chance saloon” for Chalmers, who was at a “fork in the road”.

However he said his client’s social work report was a positive one, and suggested getting back into work would be beneficial to him.

A crown motion for forfeiture of items seized by the police was granted. Consideration of a possible confiscation order was continued.