A drug dealer has been jailed for threatening a married woman he was having an affair with over a loan he gave her for plastic surgery – after she dumped him for his cousin.
Gareth Deeming fell for Sarah Will while working at a nightclub in Peterhead and agreed to give her £7,000 so that she could undergo cosmetic enhancements.
However, after getting the cash, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told Ms Will “went cold” on him and began making excuses not to see him.
Deeming later learned that she had fallen for his cousin, Robert Campbell, after he unwittingly played match-maker by introducing the pair to one another.
The court yesterday heard how the spurned 28-year-old became increasingly threatening as he demanded the repayment of the loan.
And when Mr Campbell reported Deeming to the police for an “alarming” text message he sent last August, he also advised officers about his cousin’s enterprise in dealing cocaine.
A raid was promptly launched at the accused home, on Carter’s Close in Peterhead, where £1,660 worth of the class A drug was recovered.
Defence agent Iain Jane explained the unlikely chain of events that led to his client’s arrest.
Mr Jane said: “The young lady was someone he was having an affair with, as she was married at the time.
“She made it clear she was not willing to leave her husband for my client and he was quite happy with that particular arrangement.
“That led to her asking for £7,000 to receive cosmetic surgery and he agreed to provide the money from his savings.
“By this stage the relationship had become more serious.
“He saw scope for them to be together and considered the payment an investment in their future.
“But after the money was transferred to her bank account, she went cold on him, and started seeing him less and less.
“She later made it clear the relationship was over and eventually left her husband for my client’s cousin – who he had introduced her to.
“He was fairly annoyed by that but realises sending the messages was unacceptable.”
The court heard that one message demanding repayment of the loan stated: “If I can’t get you, I will get your loved ones.”
Another said: “Tick tock, gun shot.”
Fiscal John Richardson said police eventually raided Deeming’s home at 7.40am on Tuesday August 15 last year, after being tipped off by Mr Campbell.
Mr Richardson said officers found “bundles of bank notes”, cocaine with a street value of £1,660 and “drug-related items, like plastic bags and scales”.
Deeming admitted a charge of being concerned in the supply of cocaine between May 1, 2017 and August 15, 2018.
He also pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards Ms Will and Mr Campbell by “sending text messages and social media messages containing threats of violence”.
Sheriff William Summers sentenced the former worker at the St Fergus gas plant in Peterhead to 20 months in prison.
