Dingwall man was ‘easy prey’ for crime gang after running up large drugs debt

A DINGWALL man who ran up a large drugs debt gave his sister £6000 to keep for him.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Kyle Kirkham had been dealing drugs for almost two years after being recruited by an organised crime gang to sell illegal narcotics in the Highlands.

And when police raided the 27-year-old's sister's home in Millbank Road, Dingwall, acting on intelligence, they discovered almost £6000 he had given to her.

Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald was told that she refused to divulge the identity of the person who gave her the money. However officers discovered that it was her brother and that he had been dealing for over two years.

Kirkham, of Fingal Road, Dingwall was traced and kept under surveillance and when they saw him going to a secluded area near Cambrai Court, they recovered 35.21 grams of cocaine.

Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh said it had a potential value of between £3520 and £4400. She added that Kirkham's phone was seized and it had messages going back to 2019 which indicated the supply of the Class A narcotic.

Kirkham admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs between April 6, 2019 and April 1, 2022 and had sentence deferred for a background report.

He appeared for sentence on Tuesday and the court was told that his parents had to repay a significant debt for him after he became easy prey for the gang.

Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald told the factory worker: "I could easily send you to jail today. You were involved in significant amounts of Class A drugs for almost three years. You may have felt pressured and trapped but when you were caught you had a lot of money, equipment and drugs. However I have decided to give you a chance."

She sentenced him to 180 hours of unpaid community work and to remain under social work supervision for three years.

The sheriff warned him if he did not co-operate he would definitely be jailed.

She also confiscated the £5760 he had given to his sister.