Dealer sold heroin day he got out of jail early

Just over a month later police raided the Kirkcaldy home of James Watson, 38, now a prisoner at Perth.

He tried to flush the drugs down the toilet but police were able to recover them leading to a jail sentence of over three years.

Watson appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court and admitted that between March 10 and April 13 at his home in Cairns Street East, Kirkcaldy, he was concerned in the supply of diamorphine to others.

Depute fiscal Claire Bremner told the court: “Confidential information was received by Police Scotland to the effect that the accused was concerned in sale and supply of drugs at his home.”

A search warrant was granted and executed at 9am on April 13. On seeing the police arriving, Watson grabbed a bag from his coffee table and took it into the bathroom.

Police entered the premises and found a bag of brown powder in the toilet bowl, which later was found to be 11.64 grams of heroin with a potential street value of £1160.

Also found in his home were two sets of scales, a roll of bags, a burning spoon, tin foil and two mobile phones, which contained messages related to Watson’s drug dealing.

There was also £875 in cash found in the property.

Interviewed by the police later, Watson admitted he had been selling heroin since coming out of prison on March 10, buying the drugs from an individual he knew as ‘Rab’ from Glasgow.

The Crown moved for forfeiture of the drugs paraphernalia and the cash. The latter was opposed by defence solicitor Christine Hagan who said some of the money seized had come from her client’s benefits payments.

She said: “He was released from his sentence and found himself in a position where he could finance and buy in bulk a large amount of heroin.

“He was using some of it himself and it didn’t make a particularly high profit for him.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair said there was no way to know how much heroin had been sold over the month of dealing Watson had admitted to.

The sheriff told Watson: “You have an appalling record.”

Looking at the previous convictions, the sheriff pointed out this was Watson’s third offence of dealing and he also had a conviction for trying to take drugs into prison.

The sheriff sent Watson back to prison to serve 100 days still outstanding from his previous sentence and jailed him for another three years for his latest offence.