Fine for festival cocaine supplier caught with ‘under-weight gram deals’
A social drug supplier caught with cocaine wraps while parked outside the Rising North Music Festival has been fined £800.
Ryan Peart pleaded guilty to supplying the drugs on a “social basis” when he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court today (Wednesday).
The 20-year-old from Gulberwick had aroused the suspicion of officers policing the festival when they saw him and another man “slumped over” in his car, the court heard.
It was parked outside the Clickimin Leisure Complex, where the festival was held, on 17th August.
Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said a search was carried out and the accused was found to have a single wrap in his wallet.
A further eight wraps were found his the driver’s door pocket.
The fiscal said they averaged 0.7g, which Sheriff Ian Cruickshank described as “under-weight gram deals”.
Their total value was as much as £800.
Mr MacKenzie said it was clear the other man in the car was Peart’s friend with whom he was sharing some of his personal supply for the event.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client was an apprentice mechanic with no other convictions.
He said Peart had suffered a painful injury in a car accident three years ago, which had affected his mental health.
The solicitor said his client had started using cocaine to help his mental health – but his use got “out of control”.
“This has very much been a wake up call,” he said.
“He has been doing everything right since then.”
Mr Allan said Peart had been attending the Recovery Hub and was finishing his apprenticeship.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said it had been a “sizeable quantity of drugs” – but accepted it was on a “social basis not a commercial basis”.
Taking into account Peart’s early plea he fined him £800.
