Galashiels drug dealer caught with cocaine and heroin worth up to £5k avoids a jail sentence
A 20-year-old man who admitted being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs at two addresses in Galashiels has avoided a jail sentence.
Lewis Mackie was caught with cocaine and heroin - between them worth up to £2,850 - at a property in the town's Beech Avenue after it was searched by police in December 2021.
Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard a canister of CS spray, containing a noxious liquid, was also recovered by officers, who'd received a tip-off that someone had taken over a vulnerable person's home to sell drugs.
Mackie, who gave an address in Edinburgh, ran off when police arrived but officers caught up with him at the nearby primary school in Langlee.
He admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine at the flat between December 1st, 2020, and December 16th, 2021, as well as possession of the CS spray.
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Mackie, who appeared from custody, also pled guilty to a separate charge of being concerned in the supply of heroin at an address in Coulter Avenue, Galashiels, between April and June 2021.
The court heard police found a tub and a white bag containing the brown powder, which had an estimated street value of between £1,130 and £2,180; as well as £340 in cash.
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Passing sentence, Sheriff Peter Paterson noted Mackie had already spent a "considerable" period in custody in connection with the case.
He made him the subject of a 16-month supervision order, with a requirement to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Mackie was also given a six-month curfew, which means he must remain at his mother's home between the hours of 7pm and 7am.
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