Six months for father who sold drugs for birthday cash

A MAN was selling cocaine to raise money to buy birthday presents for his children, Oban Sheriff Court heard last week.

Damian McAuley admitted possessing cocaine, a class A drug, with intent to supply when on bail.

His defence agent told the court that McAuley had a gambling habit and most of his income went on paying off gambling debts.

Procurator Fiscal Eoin McGinty said that police had intelligence that McAuley, 23, was involved with supplying drugs in the area and he was seen by officers leaving his home, Kinlochan, Ardconnel Road, Oban, on January 9.

Police officers stopped him in

Quarry Road with the intention of speaking to him. ‘The accused threw a package over a parked car and then ran off,’ said the fiscal, adding that the officers lost him, but found the package which contained a white powder and a set of scales.

The powder was found to be 52g of cocaine; a search warrant for his home address found further paraphernalia and £140.

Mr McGinty told the court that the quantity of cocaine would have cost around £1,400 to buy and had a probable resale value of £2,500.

‘ When police returned to his home address they found all his belongings sitting in bags which had just been packed as he was not welcome there any more,’ said the fiscal.

Laura McManus, defence agent, said that after running off, McAuley had returned to the police officers and said he was sorry.

‘He is a local man who comes from a respectable and very supportive family,’ she added, saying he was currently studying at Argyll College.

She said McAuley had two young children and gambling debts, having become addicted to gambling, and had thought that selling the drug would have helped raise money to buy their birthday presents.

Sheriff Ruth Anderson QC said: ‘There is a drug background here.’ She sentenced McAuley to six months in prison and the forfeiture of the £140.

He is a local man who comes from a supportive family ”