Child discovers dealer’s stash of ecstasy tablets

DRUGS: Seven-year-old boy spat out ‘sweetie’ because ‘it didn’t taste nice’

A drug dealer whose stash was discovered when a seven-year-old boy popped an ecstasy pill into his mouth thinking it was a sweet has avoided jail.

Dean Shaw’s pills left the boy moments from “absolutely catastrophic consequences” – with the child spitting it out because it “didn’t taste nice”.

Shaw was handed a community sentence and an electronic tag.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that a handful of ecstasy pills ended up in a carrier bag containing an iPad at his home in Arbroath.

That was then taken away by a woman and put on her kitchen table.

Her son went to play with the iPad and found the drugs.

He went off to play before his mother then entered the kitchen and found the pills strewn across the table.

Depute fiscal Vicki Bell said: “She thought they were sweets and noted there were some left in the shopping bag.

“She asked the child about the sweets and he said they were not sweets as he had put one in his mouth and it didn’t taste nice so he spat it out.”

Knowing the bag had been in Shaw’s home she contacted him.

Miss Bell added: “He didn’t know why the tablets were there and stated they were ecstasy.

“The child was taken to Arbroath Minor Injuries Unit and observed but didn’t have any symptoms of ingesting the tablets.

“Police were contacted and accused’s address was searched.”

Police found £3,691 in cash, cocaine worth up to £9,600 on the street and 28 ecstasy tablets worth £10 each.

Shaw, 27, of Catherine Street, Arbroath, pleaded guilty on indictment to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possessing ecstasy on August 15 last year.

Shaw wiped away tears in the dock as defence solicitor John Hall said: “He profoundly and profusely apologises for this.

“It is not lost on him that there could have been absolutely catastrophic consequences.

“The boy came very close to suffering the ill effects.

“Had it not been for the apparently bad taste he could have suffered absolutely catastrophic consequences.”

Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC imposed a community payback order with 300 hours unpaid work and two years supervision.

Shaw was also placed on a restriction of liberty order confining him to his home address on an electronic tag for eight months from 7pm until 7am each day. the

Dean Shaw was ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and placed on a restriction of liberty order for eight months.