Inmate bought heroin within hours of arrival

Being behind bars did not prevent man from feeding drug habit

The scale of Perth Prison’s drug problem was laid bare as the city’s court heard an inmate was able to buy hundreds of pounds worth of heroin within hours of his arrival.

Fifer Nathan Yates was to be held on remand for just four days following guilty pleas made during an appearance at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

But his incarceration did not prevent him from feeding his drug habit as he swiftly took advantage of the availability of illicit substances at the prison.

The 38-year-old was able to track down a source of illegal substances and purchase a large bag of heroin that would have fetched around £400 outside the prison walls.

Though Yates’ actions illustrated the apparent ease with which relatively large amounts of drugs can be secured by prisoners within Scotland’s closed estate, it proved more difficult to keep his stash undetected.

Perth Sheriff Court was told the hapless addict had fallen asleep before he could properly conceal his contraband, with prison officers spotting it as they carried out a routine check on his cell.

Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie said they could clearly see “a bag of brown powder sitting on a seat by Mr Yates’ bed”, along with “paraphernalia for drug use”.

“The drugs were tested and proved positive for heroin,” she said.

“In all, they recovered four grammes of the drug, with an estimated street value of £400. There would be an inflated prison value, but it is accepted the drugs were for personal use.”

Yates’ solicitor told the court his client had struggled to overcome a longstanding problem with misuse of drugs.

“He had sourced the heroin within the prison, paying £120 for the contents of the bag found in his cell,” the agent said.

“This was to get him through his short stay in prison, having been remanded to HMP Perth for four days.”

Yates, of St Leonard’s Court in Burntisland, admitted being in possession of heroin at HMP Perth on December 19 last year.

Sentence has been deferred until December 13.

Last week, Elizabeth Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, called for new action to prevent drugs from entering Perth Prison.

Over the past 12 months, prison authorities seized 300 grammes of heroin, 76 grammes of cannabis and more than 800 assorted tablets.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Prison Service said: “Any prohibited items being recovered within our establishments can be attributed to the professionalism and diligence of our staff and partners, advances in technology and the deployment of various methods of detection, such as intelligence gathering and tactical dog units.

“Anyone found in possession of contraband or attempting to smuggle such items into our prisons will reported to the appropriate authorities.”

He had sourced the heroin within the prison, paying £120 for the contents of the bag found in his cell