A DRUG dealer has been locked up for nearly three years after being caught with one of the largest hauls of heroin ever found in a Scottish jail.
Joseph Crawford, 38, was found with the drug worth almost £15,000 inside maximum security Perth Prison.
READ MORE: Police officers recover drugs worth £1.3 million in Glasgow raid
The haul could have provided 290 individual deals to other prisoners.
Crawford, of Dundee, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin at the prison on March 16 last year. He was serving a sentence and was also on bail at the time.
Fiscal depute Carol Whyte told Perth Sheriff Court: “He has a number of previous convictions. He was a prisoner at HM Perth at the time. Prison officers saw another prisoner acting in a suspicious manner. He was asked to empty his pockets and four wraps were recovered.
“It had come from two other prisoners who had been admitted to the jail the previous night. The decision was made to search the cell of the accused and another.
“When they got into the cell the accused was sitting on the toilet trying to conceal something. He was taken hold of and two wraps were recovered.
“A total weight of 29.06 grams of diamorphine was recovered. It had a maximum potential value of £14,500 within the prison system. It was thought to be the remainder of a larger amount.”
READ MORE: Police officers recover drugs worth £1.3 million in Glasgow raid
Solicitor Paul Parker-Smith, defending, said: “At the time he was serving a four-month sentence for shop-lifting. His record is consistent with him having suffered a heroin addiction problem for 10 years or longer.
“He was not responsible for bringing the drugs into the prison. When this other individual was moved to another hall, Mr Crawford was prevailed upon to look after these drugs.”
READ MORE: Police officers recover drugs worth £1.3 million in Glasgow raid
Sheriff William Wood jailed Crawford for two years and 50 weeks and said: “At the age of 38 you should understand those who deal Class A drugs should expect a decent custodial sentence.
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