A Moray drug dealer has been warned he faces being jailed after being caught with about £6,000 worth of heroin.
Police raided the Elgin home of David Arthur on September 13 last year after receiving intelligence he may be supplying illicit substances.
Yesterday the 32-year-old pleaded guilty to a charge of being involved in the supply of illegal drugs when he appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court.
Fiscal David Morton explained officers discovered about 70grams of heroin when they raided his Manbeen Place home.
Arthur, who was not present during the search, was later traced at the Boots store on Thornhill Road in the town three days later and was found to have a further 21grams in his possession.
However, defence solicitor Carolyn Leckie stressed her client was merely acting as “a drop” to store drugs in exchanging for fuelling his own habit.
She explained Arthur had turned back to illegal substances after choosing to stop taking pain medication to relieve symptoms from a broken neck he sustained in a car accident.
She added: “He knows that was a mistake on his part. He thought he could cope but he couldn’t so he started to use again, which led to these circumstances.”
Arthur, who is currently remanded in HMP Inverness, also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis at his home on September 13 and two charges of acting in a racially aggravated manner towards police after his arrest on September 16. Sentence was deferred to February 7.
