Jail for man found with heroin

A man who brought heroin into Shetland was sent to prison when he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Gregor Manson, 37, whose address was given as Carradale Guest House, King Harald Street, Lerwick, had previously pleaded guilty to bringing 72.45 grammes of heroin, worth an estimated £7,000 into Shetland.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said Manson had first appeared on petition on drugs offences after being stopped at Holmsgarth ferry terminal on 13th March. He had produced the packages he had been concealing internally and co-operated with police, admitting being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug.

Manson was released on bail and since then he had made “remarkable” changes to his life.
Defence solicitor Alex Burns said Manson had been ill at the time of the offence and needed an income to support his children. Manson was now clear of his difficulties, and was working scallop fishing. His employer had provided a testimonial.

Sheriff Philip Mann said this was yet another depressing incident of someone succumbing to temptation and bringing drugs into Shetland. Manson, he said, had embarked on it “of his free will and understood the risks he was running”.

Anyone bringing drugs on the ferry should realise there would be “high probability” they would end up in court, and although he gave Manson credit for changing his life, he said that he would only consider a non-custodial sentence in “wholly exceptional circumstances”.

He sentenced Manson to 20 months in prison, from Wednesday’s date.