A drug dealer caught with a £16,000 haul of cocaine was supplying the Class A drug in a bid to raise funds to pay for his mother’s funeral.
Liam Forbes, 28, has been warned to prepare for prison after he admitted getting caught with a jar stuffed full of cocaine in his home.
He told Dundee Sheriff Court his mother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and he was raising money to cover the cost of her funeral arrangements.
Forbes, who turned up to court wearing a hoodie with photographs of his mother on it, has a previous conviction for being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
Funeral costs plan
Fiscal depute Lynn Mannion told the court: “At 8 am on 17 October 2022, police attended to execute a drugs search warrant at his home.
“The accused answered the door.
“Officers recovered a jar containing six bags of white crystal material.
“The collective potential street value of the cocaine recovered was £16,200.
“The accused admitted his intention was to sell cocaine to fund the cost of his late mother’s funeral.”
Forbes, of Craigmore Street, Dundee, admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug from his home on October 17 2022.
Sentence deferred
Solicitor Jim Laverty, defending, said: “He was not in the best frame of mind at the time of the commission of this particular offence.
“I have a letter from his grandfather, who sets out the position that Mr Forbes’ mother had been diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2022.
“That was a significant blow to Mr Forbes and the rest of the family and she subsequently passed away.
“It came with the associated costs of the funeral and ancillary matters.
“He appears to have been vulnerable and was preyed upon by others at this particular point in his life.”
Sheriff Paul Brown granted Forbes bail and deferred sentence until next month for the preparation of social work reports.
He said: “You should understand how serious this is.
“You have only one previous conviction but it is highly relevant.
“I will give you the opportunity to put your affairs in order and fully prepare yourself for the next occasion.”
For more local court content visit our dedicated page, or join us on Facebook.
