A convicted drug trafficker who tried to flush almost £12,000 of heroin down a toilet during a police raid was yesterday jailed for 16 months.
Kevin Smith, 40, from New Deer, Aberdeenshire, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin at 18 Sunnyside Drive, Portlethen, on February 11 and 12.
He will also be monitored in the community for a year after his release from prison.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that as police officers forced the door Smith raced to the toilet with the package of heroin, dropped it into the bowl and flushed it.
He was seen by police as he ran back into the living room from the bathroom.
Police discovered during their search of the house that the toilet was blocked and called in a plumber.
The toilet bowl was removed and the package which contained 119 grammes of heroin with a potential street value of £11,900 was found.
Smith, who is unemployed, has three previous convictions for trafficking in class A drugs – two at High Court level and one at sheriff court level.
Judge Lord Turnbull told Smith, who has a serious drug addiction problem, that he was going to give him a chance and hand out a lesser sentence than normal.
He said: “This must be your last opportunity. Any further appearances in court and given your record you will not get any further leniency.”
