The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Woman jailed for flat drugs haul storage
Former shop owner allowed heroin to be kept in her Perth city centre home in return for a personal fix and money
A fallen businesswoman who allowed her home to be used to store drugs to make ends meet has been jailed for 30 months.
Thousands of pounds worth of heroin was being stored in Michelle Connan’s city centre flat by Perth dealers.
In return she was given small amounts of money, cigarettes and fixes of drugs to feed her own habit.
Her arrangement finally ended when police officers raided the North Methven Street property on December 7 last year.
They apprehended the 32-year-old and two men and Connan’s attempts to conceal the illicit substance in her leggings failed. The total weight of drugs amounted to 53.6 grammes.
Perth Sheriff Court was told Connan had once run a sandwich shop and takeaway in the city only to see the business collapse after the break-up of a relationship.
Solicitor John McLaughlin said his client had been deprived of her methadone prescription as a result of a “mixup” and had unfortunately lapsed back into drug use.
The agent said: “As a result, she was forced to give up her employment, which led to a loss of benefits.
“She landed in financial difficulties and became involved in this offence. She was not selling drugs. She was effectively providing a safe place for the drugs to be held.
“She obtained money and cigarettes to keep her going and drugs to meet her own needs in return.”
In the wake of the raid, Connan and one of the men found in the property accused each other of being the owner of the drugs.
Connan identified that man as a dealer, but accepted her part added up to being concerned in the supply of heroin at her home in Perth on December 7 last year.
She asked the court to consider imposing a community disposal that allowed her to remain at liberty, promising to continue taking steps to leave heroin use behind.
Sheriff William Wood told her that was impossible.
He said: “This is a very serious matter and this is not your first offence. You have four previous convictions related to the misuse of drugs.
“It is clear from your past and your previous employment that you are a person who is capable of acting lawfully and I accept that efforts have been made to detoxify.
“Nonetheless, I do not believe I have any option other than to impose a custodial sentence and that has to be a deterrent sentence.
“I have been offered a range of possible values for the packages of heroin recovered but I am more concerned with the amount. 53.61 grammes is a substantial quantity.”