Sentence deferred for heart op

A Perth man who by his own admission was caught “red-handed” with thousands of pounds worth of cocaine has had his expected prison sentence deferred after a court heard he might need open heart surgery.

Adrian Robert Coalter (39), of Woodside Crescent, admitted being concerned in the supply of the class A drug when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Tuesday this week.

Depute fiscal John Malpass told the court Coalter was caught when officers acting on local intelligence obtained a search warrant and knocked on his door on November 16 last year.

Mr Malpass informed the court Mr Coulter admitted to officers at the time: “There’s stuff in the kitchen. No one else was involved. You’ve caught me red handed.”

The officers went on to find a bag of cocaine in plain view in Mr Coalter’s kitchen and this was later estimated to have a street value of anywhere between £3800 and £7600.

His solicitor, David Holmes, was able to persuade Sheriff Lindsay Foulis to delay sentencing, however, explaining that Coalter has a complicated heart condition and is waiting on doctors to decide whether or not to perform open heart surgery on him.

Sheriff Foulis said he wanted to know exactly what doctors are proposing to do to Coalter ahead of his next court appearance and whether or not a prison could accommodate him following the procedure.

Coalter is due back at Perth Sheriff Court on September 26.