Inverness man jailed for 28 months over £61,200 cocaine haul

AN Inverness man who was described as "a small cog in a large machine" stored £61,200 worth of cocaine in his mother's home to help pay off a drugs debt.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told on Friday that the partner of John Fraser, described as an Inverness prisoner, had sold her house to help pay off what he owed.

But it wasn't enough and Fraser "took the opportunity" to hide over 600 grams of the Class A narcotic behind kitchen kickboards of the property in Kenneth Place, Smithton.

Sentence had been deferred for a background report on Fraser (37) as he was on a community payback order but his solicitor, Neil Wilson told Sheriff Margaret Neilson that his client "knows he is going to prison today."

Mr Wilson added: "He is focused on leading a more positive life when he is liberated."

Last month, Fraser had admitted being concerned in the supply of the drug on March 19, 2019.

Fiscal depute told Sheriff Margaret Neilson that police had gone with a search warrant to Fraser's mother's house on that date and stopped him as he was leaving the property.

They found two wraps of cocaine in his possession, but later discovered another 612 grams hidden behind kickboards in the kitchen.

Mr Carvel said the drugs had a value of between £21,810 and £61,200, depending upon how it was divided up and sold.

Jailing Fraser for 28 months, backdated to March 21, Sheriff Neilson told him: "Given the very high value of drugs and your record, I have no option but to impose a custodial sentence."

As Fraser is in prison, his community payback order was revoked and he was sentenced to six months in jail, to run concurrently with the sentence just imposed.

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