Awareness about cocaine's ecocide in Colombia
Prisoner supplied cocaine in jail
Written by BBC News Friday, 07 May 2010 09:32
There were several other prisoners with Elder when he was caught
An inmate was caught with more than £1,500 of cocaine in a maximum security prison, a court has heard.
Prison officers found 22.9gm of the drug after searching Michael Elder in Perth Prison. He had the package hidden in his hand, and several other inmates were in the cell at the time. He was jailed for a further 26 months at Perth Sheriff Court. The sheriff said it was unusual for cocaine to be found in the prison.
Elder, 23, from Dundee, was serving a sentence for crimes of dishonesty when the incident happened on 7 June last year.Fiscal depute Alan Kempton said: "The prison value of the cocaine was in the region of £1,660. At 8.30am prison officers had cause to search the accused.
"He was within the cell with other prisoners and concealed within his hand was a package containing 22.9gm of cocaine. Attempts were made to interview him but he refused to leave his cell."
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said it was common for prisoners to be caught with heroin or cannabis, but cocaine was rarely discovered within the prison system.
Elder admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine at Perth Prison and had 26 months imposed at the end of his current sentence.
Defence lawyer David Duncan said: "He is an individual who has had substance abuse difficulties for six or seven years. He has previously served a number of comparatively short sentences which have not had the desired effect.
"He is now approaching custody in a more mature manner, rather than seeing it simply as an occupational hazard, which is how he saw it previously."
