A Menzieshill heroin dealer snared after an investigation into a suspected city drug death has been jailed.
Jonathan Barlow appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court to be sentenced after admitting being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug.
After hearing Barlow’s dealing was to fund a “pernicious” addiction, a sheriff told the 42-year-old he had been contributing to the city’s drug death crisis.
The court previously heard emergency services had been called to Barlow’s home just before 7am on October 19 2019 after a woman had been found dead there.
Paramedics and police believed her death may have been drug-related.
Drug-dealing evidence
12 hours later, a detective constable returned to Barlow’s Dee Gardens home to conduct a search.
In a bedroom, they found a bag with 19.49g of brown powder – diamorphine, caffeine and paracetamol.
It was valued at £350 but could have a maximum value of £780.
After a search of the living room, police found another bag with 44.35g, valued as being worth £700, up to £1,770 on the street.
A mobile phone was found with texts showing Barlow discussing brown powder with a woman of the same name as the deceased woman.
She is understood to have been a grandmother.
They showed Barlow had been supplying drugs for two weeks.
Making changes
In mitigation, solicitor James Laverty told the court Barlow had kept clear of all drugs except cannabis since his last court date but required changes “after many years of drug misuse will not happen overnight.”
“He was not committing this offence for financial gain.
“There is no sign that he was living a lifestyle of someone financially benefitting.
“The activity that he was involved in was to allow him to fund the pernicious drug addiction which he was suffering from at that particular time.
“He and his partner were both addicted to drugs.
“There is no suggestion that the supply Mr Barlow was involved in went beyond a small circle of acquaintances, people who he had known for years, were of his peer group and were also people who also had addiction to drugs and were addicted to drugs for some years.
“He’s tried since he was involved in this to turn his life around. He is still in the early stages of that.”
Jailed
Barlow was jailed for a year by Sheriff Alastair Carmichael.
The sheriff said: “You’re assessed as not suitable for supervision, unpaid work or a restriction of liberty order.
“Your motivation is questioned by social work.
“Heroin is killing people here in Dundee and you’ve been contributing to that.”
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