Gangland enforcer back in jail for dealing heroin

Perth High Court heard Peter Cameron had been dealing heroin. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Extortionist Peter Cameron was caught dealing heroin within six weeks of being freed early from prison, the High Court in Perth heard.

Cameron blamed his autistic son and the ease of obtaining Class A drugs within Glenochil jail for developing a heroin habit while he was behind bars.

Yesterday, Lord Bannatyne sent him back to prison to serve 800 days after noting that Cameron had returned to criminal activity within an “incredibly short” period of his early release.

Lord Bannatyne said: “You have committed a further offence within an incredibly short period of your release. You will be returned to prison for a period of 800 days.

“The offences for which you appeared before me were incredibly serious. You have committed this second offence within a matter of weeks of being released.”

Cameron was freed early on 16 June this year and admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin from his Gordon Way, Livingston, home on 29 July.

Lord Bannatyne’s 800 day sentence is part of the recall of the original seven year extended sentence and he ordered that Cameron’s sheriff court sentence for the drug dealing be added to that later.

Counsel Ronnie Renucci, defending, said: “He was a man who was no stranger to the courts and was a drug user, but he had never used heroin.

“When he was serving the sentence he found out his four year old son had been diagnosed with autism, which led to a downward spiral of depression.

“He turned to drugs within the prison system to cope with that. The only drug available to him was heroin and that was the choice he made. He was introduced to heroin while serving that sentence.”

Mr Renucci said Cameron developed a drug debt behind bars and had been pressured into holding drugs after his release to pay off his debts.

In 2012, Cameron and fellow henchman John McCarthy were jailed for turning up with 18-inch machetes to collect a drug debt.

Cameron was caught by the quick-thinking dad of one of his targets who dialled 1471 after he received threatening calls demanding payment of cash owed by his son.

The dad picked up the phone in the early hours of the morning to hear “Pedro” threaten “unfortunately I know where you live.” Two days later, “Pedro” called again and told the dad that the debt had risen to £4,100.

The dad put the caller off, saying he had to deal with paperwork at the bank before he could get the cash and when the next call came he dialled 1471. The mobile phone number he noted belonged to Cameron’s mother.

Cameron admitted charges of extortion and attempted extortion. McCarthy, of Anne Street, Bathgate admitted similar allegations as well as a drug trafficking charge and was jailed for six years.

The court heard that Cameron and McCarthy also demanded cash from painter and decorator Derek Drummond while two unknown heavies held 18-inch machetes against his cheeks.

McCarthy also supplied cocaine to a man from Fauldhouse, who was unable to pay after his drug addiction cost him his job.