Heroin and cocaine dealer jailed for 22 months 

A drug dealer who struggled violently with police while carrying cocaine and heroin worth almost £13,000 has been jailed for 22 months.

Alexander Chalmers, 33, was appearing for sentencing at Lerwick Sheriff Court having previously admitted the offences.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said the total value of the drugs, if broken down to the smallest “street” deals would have realised £12,800.

“That’s not an insubstantial amount, particularly when you are looking at Class A drugs,” he said.

“I’ve no doubt you were a relatively little cog in the supply chain, but without little cogs the machine doesn’t operate and it’s for that reason custodial sentences are appropriate.

“There’s no other method that this can be dealt with.”

The court heard Chalmers had been spotted by police in the early hours of 2nd April in King Harald Street, Lerwick.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said two female officers saw the accused carrying a rucksack in the direction of Union Street and were aware of intelligence he could be dealing drugs.

They stopped to speak Chalmers, who was “pale, clammy, sweating and slurring his words”, the court heard.

Mr MacKenzie said it was clear evidence he was under the influence of controlled drugs.

The officers radioed through for a male colleague to search the accused – at which point Chalmers became “argumentative and belligerent”.

He told the officers they had “no right” to search him and he tried to walk away, the fiscal said.

The officers prevented him from fleeing, and tried to cuff him, only for Chalmers to start “thrashing his arms about”.

Due to the violent nature of the struggle, the fiscal said one of the officers took out her taser and “red dotted” the accused, ordering him to the ground.

Although the accused did go to ground, he continued to resist being placed in handcuffs, which was only achieved once a third officer arrived.

Mr MacKenzie said it had been a “violent struggle”.

He said Chalmers tried to use his “large stature” against the two female officers, both of whom were “relatively diminutive” in comparison.

Both officers suffered minor injuries, including cuts and grazes.

During the search, officers found 16.14g of cocaine and £339 in cash in Chalmers’ trouser pockets.

A further 224.04g of heroin was found in his rucksack back at the station.

A search of Chalmers’ address in Gott, Tingwall, found various drug related paraphernalia including, scales, sheets of tinfoil, powder used as bulking agent and several mobile phones.

Mr MacKenzie said there was evidence “indicative of involvement in trafficking”.

He said the cocaine was valued at up to to £1,610 while the heroin could have realised as much as £11,200.

Defence agent Tommy Allan presented the sheriff with an email from Chalmers’ mother.

She attended court in March when her son was ordered to comply with a community payback order as an alternative to a custodial disposal for a separate drugs offence.

“You should have sent him to prison,” she said at the time.

It was less than a fortnight later that Chalmers was arrested for dealing again.

Mr Allan said his client had been in a “downward spiral” affecting his mental health leading to “appalling” drug use and dealing.

The defence agent claimed his client was “in a situation he could not get out of”.

“It was completely out of control,” he said.

Mr Allan said his client’s time in jail had helped him get clean.

He said he was now focussing on the future and hoped to recognise his potential, including getting back to work as a plasterer and taking up sport.

Sheriff Cruickshank imposed a six month jail sentence for obstructing the officers and a 16 month sentence for the drug supply offences, to be served consecutively.

He granted a motion from the Crown for the forfeiture of times seized from Chalmers’ home.