John Gallagher of Calder Court, Coatbridge, admitted supplying the Class A drug after police raided his home on August 17 last year.They found a quantity of cocaine as well as cannabis and various “drugs paraphernalia”. They also seized cash totalling £1090.Gallagher pleaded guilty to supplying the drugs from his home and The Corner Room pub in the town’s Wallace Street.Airdrie Sheriff Court was told that he had started using cannabis, a class C drug, and ended up dealing cocaine.His lawyer claimed in court that the former oil rig worker had taken cannabis to alleviate pain caused by a medical condition.He later got “involved” in cocaine and eventually began supplying the drug to other users.Gallagher’s lawyer said: “He is somewhat unusual in that he is a 59-year-old man with limited previous offending and what offending he does have is of some age.“He is baffled as to how he got into this situation and has difficulty in coming to terms with the situation.“He distinguishes himself from drug dealers in that he supplied cocaine to people he knew in a social sense.”
The lawyer then handed over two letters - one written by the defendant and one from his sister - to Sheriff Robert Dickson in a last-ditch bid to stay out of jail.
But they weren’t enough to spare Gallagher from being sentenced to spend time behind bars.After reading both letters, Sheriff Dickson said: “I have taken into consideration your early plea. Had you not pled when you did you would have gone to prison for three years, but you will go to prison for two years.”The Sheriff also ordered that the recovered cash and equipment, including scales, be forfeited.
Gallagher, who wiped away a tear from his eye, was then handcuffed and taken away to begin his sentence.
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