Car valet faces jail term after heroin swoop

A CAR valet who was caught with a kilo of heroin has been warned he faces prison.

Alexander Purves, 33, was stopped after police received a tip-off that the driver of a silver Volkswagen Bora was returning from Shotts to the Capital in possession of controlled drugs.

The High Court in Edinburgh yesterday heard that when Purves was stopped and his car searched, two 1/2 kilo packages of heroin were found in a fabric bag below the passenger seat.

Advocate depute Morag Jack said the wholesale value of the drugs would be 15,000 but could realise 100,000 based on a kilo being broken down into 10,000 "tenner" bag deals.

Purves, of Newcraighall Drive, admitted being concerned in the supplying of the Class A drug on 11 August 2009.

Judge Lord Uist told Purves: "You have pleaded guilty to a serious crime involving a kilo of heroin. You should assume for having committed that offence you will be going to prison."

Defence solicitor advocate Duncan Hughes said Purves had not served a custodial sentence before and had four previous convictions. He said: "He is at the bottom end of the chain of supply."

Sentence was deferred for background reports until 14 April.