Drug-debt junkie hid cocaine in home

Nov 24 2009 by Lynn Jolly, Paisley Daily Express

A WINDOW cleaner who stashed cocaine at his Paisley flat has been jailed.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard that Gavin Stewart, 40, started hanging out with a clubbing crowd and ended up in debt to dealers who supplied him with the Class A drug.

First offender Stewart, of Fitzalan Drive, Gallowhill, was locked up after he admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine at his home in April.

He told the court he had agreed to let his home be used to store the stash as a way to repay some of his drug debts.

When he was younger, Stewart developed a coke habit but managed to conquer it.

However, when he started socialising with a group who took him out clubbing, he went back to using the drug.

Stewart then quickly ran up “significant” drug debts.

The court heard that police officers who stopped Stewart’s car to talk to him for allegedly speeding searched his car and found cocaine.

Cops then got a search warrant for his home and discovered drugs with a street market value of between £6,000 and £10,000.

They also seized £12,000 in cash during the investigation and this will now be confiscated, following Stewart’s prosecution.

He faces fresh proceedings through a Proceeds of Crime Act probe, which will scrutinise his assets at a future court hearing.

Sentence had been deferred for background reports and a community service assessment and, when Stewart returned to court to learn his fate, defence agent Kirsty McGeehan asked Sheriff George Kavanagh to consider imposing a non-custodial disposal.

Ms McGeehan said this was because her client had been assessed as having a low risk of re-offending.

She added that Stewart had fallen into a situation which gave him very little alternative but to comply with the wishes of others.

The lawyer also highlighted that her client was a first offender, had no other matters pending and had simply been pressurised to allow his home to be used by others.

Ms McGeehan said Stewart was “very surprised” when he was told about the quantity of drugs that had been found in his home because he had no idea of the scale of the operation.

Sheriff George Kavanagh agreed to the £12,000 being forfeited and told Stewart that, as he had allowed himself to become concerned in the supply of cocaine, there could only be one sentence – imprisonment.

He jailed Stewart for 30 months, with the sentence reduced from 40 months due to his early admission of guilt.