Sheriff can't imagine why Inverness mum thought starting a criminal enterprise was sensible
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A 27-year-old Inverness mother-of-two who made "a catastrophic mistake" by agreeing to sell drugs during lockdown has been fined £1275.
Chelsea Miller, of Ashton Road, appeared for sentence before Sheriff Gary Aitken after having been given time to get a job and income following a plea of guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
The offence occurred between November 2021 and June 2023 at a house in Evan Barron Road.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that police executed a search warrant on September 4 last year and scales and a quantity of cannabis was found.
Fiscal depute Alison Young said: "A mobile phone was found and messages on it indicated drugs were being sold. Four bags of herbal material marked 'police bag' were also discovered."
Mrs Young said they contained over 56 grams of the Class B drug and had a maximum street value of £620.
"A man was arrested at the same time," Mrs Young added.
Defence solicitor David Patterson told the court that the other man was Miller's partner who "had the bright idea to sell cannabis during the Covid lockdown.
"As far as this enterprise was concerned, her involvement was at the lower end of the scale.
"She had intended to try and get him to stop. She is remorseful, and accepts responsibility, knowing what she was doing was wrong.
"It is unlikely we will see her in court again."
Sheriff Aitken told her: "I can't imagine what was going through your mind during lockdown that starting a criminal enterprise was a sensible idea.
"You put yourself in an exceptionally difficult position. If you are not there to care for your children, then they would have to go into the care system.
"But I am told that you do not intend to repeat such a catastrophic mistake."
However, the sheriff warned her she would be jailed "for a period of years" if she did it again.
