A drug dealer used Snapchat to sell pills to young teenagers who were later found “staggering about” and taken to the hospital.
Tristan Church supplied strips of diazepam tablets to two 16-year-old girls in Buckie, on June 15 last year.
They’d seen his advert for controlled drugs on the social networking app but the pair became so unwell that they required medical treatment.
Church, 19, was caught with 135 blue tablets in his pockets during a police search the following day, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh said that Church was contacted by one of the girls over Snapchat where he’d been using his social media platform to advertise the Class C drugs for £10 per strip.
‘They didn’t feel well’
“They purchased unknown amounts of diazepam from £10 strips which they consumed,” the fiscal explained.
“Later that evening, one of the girls called her mum to say they didn’t feel well. Her dad drove to Buckie town centre to pick them up and drive them home.
“He noted she and her companion were staggering about and took them home.”
But shortly after, at 1.40am, both girls felt so unwell that they had to attend Dr Grays Hospital in Elgin, where urine tests proved positive for benzodiazepines.
“A doctor there was told the accused had sold them drugs,” the fiscal added.
“Police sought a drugs search warrant which was executed that day.
“The accused intimated to officers he had diazepam in his jeans pockets as well as joints.”
A sheriff heard that Church had 135.5 blue tablets of diazepam with an estimated street value of £135.50.
‘He thought they were older’
Church admitted one charge of being concerned with the supply of the class C drug etizolam.
His defence agent Stephen Carty said his client’s life had been “somewhat out of control” at the time.
“He was using controlled drugs and got involved in the sale of drugs,” he said.
“He accepts his culpability and has stressed he did not know the age of the girls involved.
“He thought they were older than they were but accepts that’s not an excuse.”
The solicitor added that Church had made “significant efforts” since the offending and had moved away from the area and certain individuals who had been pursuing him at the time.
Church sentenced
Sheriff Eric Brown told the accused that selling drugs to two sixteen years olds was a “serious charge” but that he would take into account his age and his guilty plea when it came to sentencing.
Church, formerly of The Meadows, Buckie, was handed 100 hours of unpaid work and an 18-month supervision order.
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