Laighstonehall thug (42) pleads guilty to heroin charge

Feb 25 2010 Hamilton Advertiser

POLICE arrested a Laighstonehall drugs dealer after he was spotted selling heroin from his car.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday, Thomas Black, of Ewart Terrace, pleaded guilty to dealing the Class-A drug from his silver Vauxhall Astra on February 26 last year.

The court heard that police first became aware of the accused, who is unemployed, after they received information that his vehicle had been involved in the sale and supply of drugs.

The information was given to police at around 12noon on February 26, fiscal depute Sarah McCall explained to the court.

She added that police officers had not previously been aware of the 42-year-old’s involvement in the drug trade.

Ms McCall said: “Later, at around 8pm on the same date, plain-clothes officers in an unmarked car observed a silver Vauxhall Astra with the same registration number travelling ahead of them.

“Police officers followed the vehicle until it came to a stop in Ewart Terrace.”

Officers then stopped near to the vehicle, said Ms McCall, and approached Black showing their warrant cards, making themselves known to the accused.

The fiscal depute explained that officers then discovered brown powder in the car, which, when later tested, was found to be heroin.

She said: “The brown powder was discovered in the front-door pocket of the accused’s car.

“When asked what the substance was, Mr Black replied, ‘I don’t know’.”

A later search of Black’s home, where he lives with his two adult nieces and their children, yielded no further drugs, the court heard.

The amount of heroin found in Black’s car was 247 grams, said Ms McCall, which would have cost the accused around £5000.

However, the potential street value of the stash was around £17,500.

It was also suggested to the court that Black may have been acting in the capacity of a ‘courier’.

It was confirmed that the offence was the first time the CID had been aware of the accused in the sale and supply of heroin.

Black has a list of previous convictions that include assault, breach of the peace, attempting to pervert the course of justice, road traffic offences and carrying an offensive weapon, namely a baseball bat.

Sheriff David Bicket deferred sentence on Black until March 24 for a range of reports.

Bail was granted meantime.