Out-of-work cannabis man sent to prison

A LONG-TERM cannabis user who could not afford to buy the drug when he was made redundant turned to growing his own, a court has heard.

David Riddell, 32, had been using since he was 16, the city's Sheriff Court was told yesterday.

Police received information about what was going on in Riddell's home in Fowler Terrace, Edinburgh and, on 5 May last year, obtained a search warrant.

The 30 plants they found in the flat were at an early stage of growth. The officers also discovered 10,727 diazepam tablets, worth between 5,400 and 7,500.

Riddell was jailed for 12 months. He had pleaded guilty previously to growing the plants and to being concerned in the supply of diazepam. Sentence had been deferred for reports.

Defence solicitor Julie Livingston told Sheriff James Scott that her client had been asked to "keep hold" of the tablets by someone.

"Since then he has been threatened by this person with being stabbed because the drugs were taken away," she said.

Sheriff Scott told Riddell that because of the gravity of the offence and his record, a custodial sentence was appropriate.