Reveller who took drugs to party is jailed
A man has been jailed after racking up his fifth conviction for drugs offences.
Thomas Wright, 30, was snared with cocaine as he headed to a party in Paisley.
Cops who arrested him in Nethercraigs Road on March 8, 2019, discovered he had a stash of the Class-A substance on him.
He appeared for sentencing after pleading guilty to charges of being in possession of cocaine with the intention to supply another or others.
Defence agent Charlie McCusker said his client knew he was facing a “stark choice” given his record of previous convictions.
But he urged the court to show him leniency as he was being used by others to carry the drugs to the party.
Mr McCusker said: “He accepts he had a hold of these drugs.
“He also accepts he had a cocaine habit and was taking these drugs to the party.
“However, since this matter he has attempted to halt this habit and has not had cocaine for several months.
“He is doing everything he can to tackle this and is trying to be a worthwhile member of society.”
Mr McCusker added Wright, of Glenburn, had a difficult childhood and had turned to abusing substances as a means of coping.
He said his client had enrolled in an engineering course at West College Scotland, and had spent a long time on a curfew while awaiting the disposal of the case.
Sheriff Colin Pettigrew, who studied background reports as well as reading letters of support in preparation for sentencing, told him that a jail term was “inevitable” given his record and that he was carrying it “in order to reduce your drug debts”.
He said: “You pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with the intent to supply to another or others.
“You have four previous convictions for drugs offences, two of them at solemn level, resulting in periods of imprisonment.
“This offence is being concerned in the supply of drugs.
“Persons dealing in Class-A drugs will almost inevitably go to prison and no circumstances here will dissuade me from that course.”
He handed Wright 16 months behind bars, reduced from 21 months, because of his early plea of guilty during proceedings.