Jail for man who supplied heroin

A man from Lerwick has been jailed after he admitted supplying heroin in the town on 21st June last year.

Kevin Goodlad, 43, of North Lochside, Lerwick, pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared in Lerwick Sheriff Court earlier this year. On Wednesday he was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

The first time offender was found to have more than £3,000 worth of the class-A drug in his possession when searched by police.

Defence agent Craig Dewar said that Goodlad had been “candid” in background reports. Friends with drug abuse problems had asked him to become involved in the supply of drugs, Mr Dewar said, and after refusing “on a number of occasions” Goodlad eventually and “regrettably” acquiesced.

Mr Dewar said that his client was a “well thought of member of staff” at Glen Orchy House and that he was found to have a “low risk of reoffending” in his background reports.

The defence agent asked Sheriff Philip Mann to consider these points – alongside his previously clean criminal record – and urged the sheriff to deal with Goodlad by the means of a community-based sentence.

Mr Dewar added that the recent death of Goodlad’s father, who he had lived with for over 30 years, had had a “profound impact” on his client.

However, Sheriff Mann said that it was “very seldom” that he would not jail someone for dealing drugs.

He said: “I’ve said many times from the bench that people who choose to deal in drugs will be dealt with very severely.”

Sheriff Mann also noted the significant value of the drugs in deciding to sentence Goodlad to 14 months in jail. The sentence was reduced from 20 months to reflect his early plea.