An offshore worker turned to drug dealing after he lost his job during the pandemic and fell into a “malaise”, a court has heard.
Father-of-three Andrew Duncan appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted selling cocaine to make ends meet when he was made redundant from his oil and gas job.
When police searched the 30-year-old’s car they found more than £1,000 in cash and nearly £1,500 of cocaine.
The court was told Duncan was introduced to cocaine by a former work colleague and formed a “substantial habit”.
Accused found with 26g of cocaine
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross said that at around 8.20pm on March 26 last year police were on mobile patrol when they spotted Duncan’s vehicle on Station Road, Kemnay.
“The police saw the accused in his car and they approached the vehicle in order to carry out a search,” she said.
“Whilst doing so they recovered a number of mobile phones and while carrying out a further search of the vehicle police recovered £1,075 in cash and 26 grams of cocaine.
“The cocaine had a maximum street value of £1,440.”
Duncan pleaded guilty to one charge of being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
Offshore worker had ‘gone off the rails’
Defence agent Gregor Kelly said his client had turned to selling cocaine “when he lost his job offshore during the Covid pandemic and experienced a malaise”.
He added: “Mr Duncan was introduced to cocaine by a work colleague and he quickly became addicted to it.
“It was the usual scenario where he had a substantial habit and bulk bought a quantity of cocaine.
“At this point, he has acquired quite a habit and gone seriously off the rails.
“He now appears to have climbed out of the hole he was in.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Ian Wallace handed Duncan, of Barraview, Oldmeldrum, a community payback order with supervision for 12 months.
He also ordered Duncan to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
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