A 23-year-old IT engineer who ran a transatlantic drugs business from his Highland home was jailed for nine months at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday.
First offender Kyle Easter, of Leopold Street in Nairn, was told by Sheriff Margaret Neilson that he was fortunate not to be sentenced by a higher court after £9,000 worth of cannabis was recovered in a police raid.
Sentence had been deferred on Easter and his co-accused, landscaper Alan Simpson, 24, of Albyn Court, Nairn, for background reports.
Easter admitted being concerned in the supply of the class B drug over a six month period between December, 2015 and June last year. The length of time involved justified the jail sentence, the Sheriff told him.
She added: “Not withstanding your previous good character, there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”
Simpson’s dealing was confined to one day – June 21 last year. Sentencing him to 250 hours of unpaid work, the Sheriff told him: “This puts you in a different category.”
The court heard that Easter was ordering his drugs on line from Canada, using the internet currency Bitcoin for purchases and having them delivered to his home labelled as toys.
But Customs became suspicious and it led to a raid on father of two Easter’s home.
Sheriff Neilson said: “This as a deliberate, lengthy, carefully planned commercial enterprise. He may have been keeping some for himself and giving the rest to his co-accused, but it was not small level.”
Defence lawyer Duncan Henderson said: “He is a first offender and tells me he is now drug free.He is suitable for a community based disposal but recognises that prison is a possibility.”
Simpson’s lawyer, Clare Russell said her client had had a cannabis addiction since he was 14 years old.
“This was at the root of his offending behaviour. He purchased mainly for personal use but sold on to friends.”
