A man who spent £90,000 of his inheritance money buying drugs has been jailed for nearly three years after being caught with cocaine at an Aberdeen flat.
Gary Blanchett was found with £4,000 worth of the Class A drug at a property on Ruthrieston Circle on September 24 2018.
The 51-year-old appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday having previously admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs.
The court was told Blanchett had inherited a quarter of a million pounds following his father’s death two years ago.
While he used some of the cash to buy a share of a house from his brother he spent £90,000 on crack cocaine.
Defence agent John Hardie said his client had “significant” drugs issues and he was “manipulated” by someone who used his home to keep the drugs in.
He said Blanchett realised he was at “serious risk” of going to jail as a result of his actions.
Mr Hardie said: “There are a series of convictions that reflects a life of taking controlled drugs.
“He is at serious risk of a prison sentence and he acknowledges that. His father died in 2018 and that relationship had been positive.
“His father left his £250,000 and a share in a house. He spent a significant portion of that buying the other share from his brother.
“He has always had significant drugs problems and never had that kind of money and was buying a great deal of crack cocaine.
“The people he was buying the drugs from discovered he had this money and asked if they could use his flat.
“That person became of interest to the police and a significant quantity of cocaine.
“He was vulnerable to manipulation at the time. He had so much money that he did not know what to do with it. He spent £90,000 on crack cocaine.”
Mr Hardie added Blanchett was working with his doctor and social workers to tackle his drug addiction.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan said Blanchett’s previous conviction for the same offence meant there was only “one option” for sentencing.
He said: “Obviously, I have listened carefully to Mr Hardie and I do recognise you do have certain difficulties.
“The main difficulty is that on a previous occasion you were sentenced on an identical charge. This is a very serious matter.
“You played a role in the supply of drugs and the quantity of drugs had a street value of £4,000.
“In these circumstances, I am only left with one option and that is imprisonment.”
Sheriff Buchanan jailed Blanchett, of Ruthrieston Circle, Aberdeen, for 35 months.
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