Denny man jailed for having thousands of pounds worth of heroin in a safe

A man who was caught with a safe containing heroin worth £270,000 on the streets was jailed today.

Detectives had turned up to search an address when they saw Darren Heeps with a black rucksack.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that he indicated he had received a phone call from the girlfriend of a man who had earlier been detained by police after they stopped his car and noticed a smell of cannabis coming from the driver.

Heeps had turned up at the house in Church Place, Falkirk, in Stirlingshire, to remove the rucksack from the property.

Advocate depute Rosemary Guinnane said a locked metal safe was found inside the rucksack and when it was forced open a large quantity of drugs was discovered.

An expert drugs officer said that the amount of heroin found had the potential to realise a maximum of £270,000 if broken down into street deals.

A key recovered from Heeps car was found to be a match for the safe which had contained more than 2.5 kilos of the Class A drug.

More than £10,000 in cash was found during a subsequent search of Heeps home in Beech Crescent, in Dunipace.

29-year old Heeps admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin between November 25 and December 12 last year, when he appeared in court today.

Defence counsel Niall McCluskey said a background report would be required on Heeps as he has not previously served a jail sentence.

He said: 'He accepts a custodial sentence is more or less inevitable.'

He said Heeps wanted to complete an LGV training and test course and sought bail for him.

But the judge, Lady Carmichael, remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing later this month and said in her opinion jail was "inevitable.'