Drug dealing ex-soldier may be spared jail

Sheriff says he will consider combat stress from Afghanistan tour

A former soldier caught dealing high purity cocaine worth up to £47,000 was told he could avoid jail because of the stress he suffered during combat operations in Afghanistan.

George Hunt was serving as a gunner in the First Royal Horse Artillery when he began dealing the class A drug.

Just a week after he was discharged from the army in October last year for failing a drugs test, police stopped him at a set of traffic lights in Dundee’s Duncan Place.

They searched his car and found a 125g bag of 75% purity cocaine – far stronger than the 10% pure drug commonly found on the streets.

Officers also found two kilos of a bulking agent used to cut the drug into smaller deals – meaning he could have turned the substances into drugs worth up to £46,850.

Hunt, 23, of Helmsdale Avenue, Dundee, pleaded guilty at the city’s sheriff court to being concerned in the supply of drugs in September and October last year.

Sheriff Alastair Brown told Hunt: “In your case I should start thinking in terms of a three year sentence.

“I have heard that you have been suffering from something akin to combat stress.

“I’m aware that the UK takes decisions about the deployment of troops which places those troops in a stressful situation and that some suffer psychological difficulties as a result and I’ve heard criticism made of the provision for helping with that.

“I’m willing to explore that issue further.”

Sheriff Brown deferred sentence until October for a psychological report and released Hunt on bail.

Fiscal depute John Adams said: “Texts were found on his (Hunt’s) phone which suggest supply to others between September 10 and the date of his arrest.

“In six of those exchanges other people proactively want him to supply, while in four others it is him who proactively approaches them.”

Solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin, defending Hunt, said: “His period in Afghanistan had a significant impact on him.

“Immediately on return he began binge drinking and abusing cocaine and that became an addiction.

“He did seek help but the addiction had a fairly strong hold of him.

“He failed a drugs test and was discharged from the army and was unemployed, unemployable and had no money whatsoever.

“The person who sold him drugs identified that he was vulnerable and could be used in the supply chain.”

George Hunt turned to drink and drugs after returning from a stint fighting in Afghanistan for the army.