Drug dealer got into police car by mistake

Mariano Colsa Gonzalez had pled guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Picture: Greg Macvean

Thirty-five year old Mariano Colsa-Gonzalez of Marchmont Road, Edinburgh, had pled guilty previously at the city’s Sheriff Court to being concerned in the supply of Cannabis on August 26, 2013, in Roseneath Place and Marchmont Road. Sentence was deferred until today for background reports.

The court had heard that police officers, having a tea break in their unmarked car, were surprised when a man got into their vehicle, realised where he was, apologised saying: “I’ve got into the wrong car”, and left.

Concerned because of the man’s confused state, the officers went to look for him. He was found ten minutes later in Roseneath Place with his jacket hanging on a fence. He appeared to be nervous and when searched, eight bags of Cannabis where found in his jacket pocket.

Fiscal Depute, Graeme Jessop, told Sheriff Donald Corke, the case was “rather unusual”. The part-time waiter and student, he said, had claimed the drug was for his personal use. However, when his home was searched, 13 more bags of the drug were found in a padlocked rucksack along with a wallet containing £2370 in cash made up in £100 bundles.

The Fiscal said the value of the bags found in the accused’s jacket and in the house was £210, but two larger quantities of the drug, which were found, had a street value of £4540. Mr Jessop called for the forfeiture of the £2370.

Defence solicitor, Peter Winning, told Sheriff Corke that his client accepted he would be fortunate to escape a custodial sentence. He added that Colsa-Gonzalez was no longer in contact with the people he had been involved in with selling Cannabis to his friends. He had not been in trouble since being placed on bail in 2013 and was hoping to obtain a degree in Business Studies at Edinburgh University.

Sentencing Costa-Gonzalez, Sheriff Corke told him it had been repeatedly said the supply of Cannabis whether for cash or to friends, on a substantial scale as this had been, would normally attract a sentence of imprisonment. “I have to look for exceptional circumstances if you are not to receive a custodial sentence” he said. “This happened in August 2013 and since then you have moved on socially and academically and a prison environment would set you back. Also you have forfeited £2370. I am narrowly persuaded to give you a non-custodial alternative”. He warned him, however, that this was an alternative to prison and there would be no further chances if he failed to comply with the Order and imprisonment would follow.

Colsa-Gonzalez was placed under supervision on a Community Payback Order for 24 months and ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.