A Moray man hid cocaine worth thousands of pounds in the attic of his grandparents’ home.
But Paul Murray’s stash of Class A drugs was discovered after he had a row with them and was then reported missing.
Police investigating his disappearance searched the property in Elgin – and noticed a hatch leading to the loft was ajar.
Officers then found bags of cocaine worth nearly £6,000.
At Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday Murray and co-accused Steven Clark admitted being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs between December last year and January.
Murray, 27, also admitted charges of threatening or abusive behaviour.
Fiscal Kevin Corrins said the drugs were found after Murray, who was raised by his grandparents Catherine and Norman Murray, threw a tantrum so severe they contacted the police.
Mr Corrins said: “He was described as being in a huff, and things seemed to escalate to the point where he was storming up and down the stairs.
“He was shouting and swearing at his grandmother and calling her a ‘fat, lazy cow’.
“He thereafter threw items of clothing about the place, as well as the house phone, and punched the living room light switch.”
After receiving a call from his distressed grandmother, police went to the house around 2.20am on Tuesday, January 10.
By that time Murray had fled and officers were forced to report him as a missing person.
During a search of the house they noticed a hatch leading to the loft was slightly ajar, and a ladder had been placed by its side.
The fiscal said: “When he looked in the attic, the officer saw three bags of white powder, and had a suspicion these were a controlled drug.”
Police later found that two of the bags contained 27.5g of cocaine while the third contained 27.7g.
Officers later discovered wraps of silver foil containing 1.5g of the powder, as well as electric scales used to measure the drug out, in Murray’s bedroom.
The following afternoon Murray, now of 24 Northfield Place, Lhanbryde, handed himself in to Elgin police station, and claimed he was allowing others to store the drugs at his grandparents’ home.
Co-accused Clark, 28, appeared in the dock after police found incriminating text messages between the two on Murray’s phone.
The court heard the messages “seemed to relate to purchasing drugs”.
When police officers questioned Clark’s ex-partner she told them that she recalled an incident in early January when he told her that drugs he had stored at Murray’s house had been confiscated.
Mr Corrins added: “When he was questioned in late March, Clark accepted he had been involved in the enterprise to purchase this cocaine.”
Murray’s agent, solicitor Alan Findlay, said his client was a “chronic addict” with regard to his cocaine use.
He requested that sentence be deferred so that psychiatric reports could be carried.
Representing Clark, of 4 Inchbroom Walk, Elgin, solicitor Stephen Carty added that he would welcome criminal justice social work reports being completed.
Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov agreed to defer sentence and released both men on bail.
They will return to court on January 7.
