Heroin man gets supervision

A Cowie man was last week given 11 months’supervision for possessing heroin.

James Costigane, of Hilton, had been stopped by police in Quakerfield in Bannockburn on October 13 last year and was found to have the class-A drug.

At Stirling Sheriff Court last week, fiscal depute Wainwright Craig said the 42-year-old had been walking in Quakerfield around noon that day.

Costigane was informed by officers they had reason to detain him under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Officers found he was in possession of brown powder which, when analysed, was found to be 1.5g of diamorphine valued at £150.

Costigane’s lawyer told Sheriff James MacDonald the accused’s offending was linked to substance misuse.

He had been on methadone for 13 years which wasn’t working. However, Costigane had been proactive in getting the issue addressed and while it was early days felt this had made“a big difference.”

Supervision, said the lawyer, would address Costigane’s “day-to-day issues”and provide additional support for him.

Sheriff MacDonald told Costigane he had initially been sceptical about imposing supervision given the accused’s substance abuse and lack of employment.

However, he accepted it could reduce the risk of future offending and imposed a community payback order comprising 11 months’ supervision.