Man faces jail after heroin is thrown away
PACKETS of heroin were thrown from a speeding car as police chased it along winding Shetland roads, the High Court in Edinburgh heard last Thursday.
The driver, Terry Robert Charles Thomson, 33, of Sandveien, Lerwick (who is now known as Terence Charles), now faces the possibility of a long jail sentence – because he has a record for drug trafficking.
Plain-clothed officers approached Thomson after a tip-off when they saw his Vauxhall Corsa parked in a single track road at the Loch of Vatster, Tingwall, on a Sunday afternoon.
Thomson told them everything was okay, then accelerated away.
Pursuing police watched his passenger moving as he did something in the foot well of the car.
Advocate depute David Young, prosecuting, said: “Due to the winding and undulating nature of the road, the police – albeit fleetingly – lost sight of the Vauxhall.
“After pursuing the Vauxhall at speed for some miles, police lost contact with the car.”
Half an hour later they saw the car again, 10 miles away. Driver Thomson, who was alone by then, was taken to Lerwick police station. A search revealed a wrap of heroin under an ashtray.
Officers then searched the route the Vauxhall had taken and found a tub containing more heroin. The total seizure might have fetched £1,520 on the streets, Mr Young said.
The tub was wrapped in the toe of a sock and a matching piece of sock was found in the car’s footwell, the court heard.
Thomson appeared from custody and pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin on 25th May.
Judge Lord Kinclaven called for background reports and deferred sentence.
Defence advocate Ronnie Renucci said that at the next hearing he would try to persuade the judge not to impose a lengthy sentence.
