A man who had £1,400 of cocaine in a bedroom drawer was “holding it for someone”, a court has heard.
Jules Allan told officers who raided his home that he had “white” in his bedroom drawer.
A search of the property also recovered working scales, zip seal bags and grinders from an outbuilding and shed.
Allan, 22, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having admitted charges of being concerned in the supplying of cocaine and cannabis, two drug-driving offences and a single charge of cannabis possession.
Fiscal depute Emma MacEwan told the court that a warrant was executed at Allan’s Tower Brae North home in Westhill on September 11 2020
“The accused, upon arrival of the police, stated ‘I’m holding for someone’ and indicated that he had ‘white’ in his bedroom drawer,” she said.
Police found cocaine in drawer
Officers at the property recovered a white powder and a brown substance.
Further searches, including of an outbuilding and shed found working scales, zip seal bags and grinders.
The fiscal depute told the court that the cocaine recovered had a value of £1,400 while the cannabis was “a trace amount”.
The court heard that the first of two drug-driving charges dated from December 12 2020 when police stopped Allan in his Renault Clio.
When officers smelled cannabis they requested a saliva sample, which proved positive and Allan was arrested and taken to the police station.
He was stopped again on February 2 last year for a routine check and officers noted that “he was pale in complexion with red eyes and appeared lethargic”.
He again failed a saliva test and his level on this occasion was found to be just over the legal limit.
Cannabis in glove compartment
On this occasion, officers searched his vehicle and recovered a bag containing 3g of cannabis.
Solicitor David Patterson, for Allan, said his client was a full-time joiner who lives with his parents.
He said: “It is clear Mr Allan at the time had little direction and was mixing with a number of negative influences.
“He is not a user of cocaine and he accepts that he should not have had anything to do with it.”
Mr Patterson said Allan’s parents had since put him to work “to stave off these negative influences”.
He added: “He would appear to be, on the face of it, a young man who has learned his lesson.”
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald placed Allan on a community payback order as a direct alternative to custody requiring him to remain under supervison for a year and to complete 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.
She also banned him from driving for three years and fined him £420.
