One last chance for drug dealer

A violent drug dealer has been told he is on his final chance to stay out of jail.

Rhys Wembridge, 20, was handed community service after being caught in his goldcoloured motor with dozens of bags of cocaine and heroin.

But he has been hauled back into the dock twice because he has refused to do the work.

Wembridge admitted shirking responsibility at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Sheriff James Spy was told he suffered from mental health problems and warned he would not get another shot.

He said: “I’ll allow the order to continue. The matter will be continued for six weeks.

“I want you to continue with your appointments, part i c u l a r l y m e d i c a l appointments.

“If you don’t attend your appointments and make use of the services which are available to you you’ll end up back here, the order will be revoked, and I’ll have very limited options about how to deal with you.”

Wembridge was caught with 27 bags of cocaine and 19 wraps of heroin in August last year.

He flogged the drugs from his Renault Megane.

Police put the car on a watchlist after a tip-off.

They caught him with a stash worth more than £2,000.

Prior to this, Wembridge had been released early from a two-year stretch for stabbing a man in 2018.

Prosecutor Keri Marshall told how he was caught with the heroin stashed in his pants.

She said: “Police were in receipt of intelligence that a gold Renault Megane being driven in the Paisley area was involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs.

“Officers were on mobile patrol in Incle Street, Paisley.

“They spotted a gold Renault Megane and saw the accused in the front passenger seat.

“Officers indicated for the car to be pulled over, which it did. They detained the accused and the driver. The accused was searched.

“During the course of the search, police officers recovered a blue parcel containing a number of bags of brown powder from the waistband of the accused’s boxer shorts.”

Wembridge claimed he had turned to dealing to pay his own drug debts.

He had been placed under supervision for 15 months and ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work within a year but carried out just 60 hours.

The dealer also admitted no-showing key appointments with social workers.

Defence solicitor Michael McKeown claimed his client had struggled to attend due to feeling unfit.

Wembridge, of Paisley, has been ordered to return for a further review next month.