Dealer admits having stashes of cocaine

An East Mains dealer admitted a charge of supplying cocaine – despite insisting he was only “looking after” stashes of the drug worth £7000 for someone else.

James Dunbar, 31, pled guilty to being concerned in supplying the drug at his home address of Melrose Terrace and at Dunglass Avenue in East Mains, and elsewhere unknown to the prosecutor on April 14 and August 1 last year.

Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that, on the first occasion, the Class A drug was found within Dunbar’s car.

“Officers attended to execute a warrant and detained the accused and informed him why, ”depute fiscal Paula Russell said. “The accused told officers ‘I have some coke in the car – about an ounce’.”

Ms Russell went on: “Two bags of white powder were found in the car weighing 116 grammes with a street value of approximately £2870.

“The accused was charged and cautioned and taken to Cathcart police station. On August 1, police officers with a warrant attended the accused’s house at Melrose Terrace and were allowed entry.

“They found the accused and there were two others within the property.

“A search was carried out and bags containing white powder discovered along with a list of names.

“The accused was taken to East Kilbride and then on to Cathcart police station and during interview said he was not concerned in supply but was storing the drugs for someone he wasn’t willing to name. A total of 149.9 grammes were discovered with a street value of £4300.”

Dunbar’s defence lawyer told the court that, despite the guilty plea, his client maintained that he was storing the drugs for someone else.

Sheriff Thomas Millar deferred sentence on Dunbar until March 1 for background reports.