Heroin sniffed outin cellcheck

A drugs sniffer dog found a small quantity of heroin after it carried out a routine check of a cell at Perth Prison.

The 0.7 grammes of the Class A drug, recovered from “strung out” prisoner Donald Stevenson, would normally be worth just £7.

But its value was multiplied by five times inside the jail, Perth Sheriff Court was told.

The 37-year-old, who has now completed his sentence and is living at the Skinnergate Hostel in Perth, admitted having the drug in his possession at the Edinburgh Road jail on June 2.

Solicitor John McLaughlin said his client had been serving a two-month sentence.

“He had been sentenced the day before and when he arrived he gave the prison details of his own doctor because he was on methadone.

“An initial call to the GP couldn’t confirm that and he wasn’t given any methadone.

“He was strung out and got the heroin.”

As a result of the discovery, he lost seven days’ wages, seven days’ access to the canteen and, for a week, was confined to his cell for more than 23 hours a day, being allowed out only for a shower.

In view of that punishment - and because of Stevenson’s limited benefits income - Sheriff David Griffiths restricted the fine he imposed to £100, payable at £5 as fortnight. It would have been “much more” if his means were greater.