Thursday 12 December 2024
 7.4°C   SW Gentle Breeze
SCT - 2025/26 Small Grant SchemeSCT - 2025/26 Small Grant Scheme
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Court / Man given prison term for drugs supply

A MAN who was involved in the supply of heroin and cocaine which could have had a potential combined value of nearly £13,000 has been given a 22-month prison sentence.

Alexander Chalmers, 33, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, previously admitted being concerned in the supply of the class A drugs at two addresses in Lerwick and Tingwall on 2 April.

He had also pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally obstructing two police officers who wanted to search him for controlled drugs at Lerwick’s King Harald Street on the same day.

Lerwick Sheriff Court on heard on Wednesday that the cocaine confiscated had a potential street value of £1,610 while the heroin seized by police officers was valued at £11,200 if broken down into the smallest amounts.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank had requested a criminal justice social work report prior to sentencing, with Chalmers remanded in custody in the meantime.

At the court on Wednesday for sentencing, procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said two police officers on patrol had seen Chalmers with a rucksack shortly after midnight in Lerwick – having had recent intelligence that he was involved in drugs at an address in town.

The court heard that when police approached him, Chalmers was evasive – as well as “pale, clammy and sweating”.

Mackenzie said Chalmers had become aggressive and belligerent, and attempted to walk away from officers.

He was prevented from doing so and was held against a wall by officers, with a struggle ensuing.

Mackenzie said at one point a police officer drew out a taser and “red dotted” Chalmers, who went to the ground.

The court heard that he then resisted attempts to place handcuffs on him – with a “violent struggle” then taking place.

One police officer received a graze and a cut, with another suffered cuts to her hand.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

The fiscal said around 16 grams of cocaine and cash were found in his pocket, with roughly 224 grams of heroin in his rucksack. Drug paraphernalia was found at his home address.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Chalmers had been on a “downward spiral” at the time, which led to drug use and then supply.

He said his client had been in a situation that “he could not get out of”.

However, Allan said Chalmers being on remand in prison since April has been a “break” in this behaviour and said he has done well in jail – adding that he is now looking forward to a future that is drug free.

“He wants to get his life on track,” the defence agent said.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said the value of drugs involved – potentially up to around £12,800 – was “not insubstantial”.

He described Chalmers as a “relatively little cog” in the drug supply chain but said these cogs are needed for the machine to operate.

In addition to the 22-month prison sentence, which was backdated to when Chalmers first entered custody on the matter on 3 April, Sheriff Cruickshank also granted forfeiture of the items seized by police.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

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

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

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.

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.