Jail for man who handed co-accused drugs in dock at Inverness Sheriff Court
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A man passed drugs to a woman while handcuffed to security staff in Inverness Sheriff Court.
The court heard he passed her tablets as he leaned over to give her a hug.
Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald was told Scott Stewart and a female in the dock were both handcuffed in court, along with a third accused.
Depute fiscal Susan Love said, as there was not enough room in the dock, Stewart had been sitting on a bench behind during proceedings, handcuffed to security staff.
In the presence of the presiding sheriff and court staff he gave the woman a hug and at the same time handed her tablets, some of which fell to the floor.
Four tablets were recovered and when later analysed two were found to be Alprazolam – a Class C controlled drug.
The other tablets were not controlled substances.
The fiscal said Stewart was removed by police and taken to Burnett Road police station.
Stewart (35) admitted possession of the drug with intent to supply at the court on October 29, 2018.
Solicitor Willie Young said Stewart, of Assynt Road, Inverness, said the drug in question had been prescribed to Stewart for anxiety but he developed a dependence.
"On the day he attended court his not guilty plea was accepted," he said. "She (the witness) was a co-accused. He had taken tablets prior to his attendance at court and felt he was doing a friend a favour and accepts he acted disrespectfully to the court."
Sentence had been deferred for criminal justice background reports and Mr Young said Stewart had been out of trouble since 2016.
He said he had never before served a custodial sentence and, notwithstanding the locus of the offence, the report recommended a non-custodial sentence.
But Sheriff Macdonald told Stewart: "I believe you flagrantly disregarded the court and justice system. You have never been in custody before but I can find no alternative but custody."
She jailed him for six months.
