Dundee is in the grip of a lethal epidemic of crack cocaine abuse, a court was told on Tuesday as a dealer was sentenced to three years in prison.
Sheriff Gillian Wade was told the city had been flooded by the super-strength drug in the past 12 months and it had been responsible for a number of deaths.
Solicitor Ross Bennett made the claim at Perth Sheriff Court as his client Graeme Duncan, 40, was jailed for three years for supplying Class A drugs.
Mr Bennett said: “From 2012 to 2018 my client has been able to keep out of trouble.
“He has been able to keep away from offending but I can’t say he’s kept away from drugs.
“In the last year he became involved with crack cocaine. I don’t know about here in Perth, but in Dundee there is almost an epidemic.
“It is very, very significant there with a number of deaths recently surrounding it.”
The court was told Duncan, an unemployed butcher whose address was given as Perth Prison, was still on bail having only been released early from jail five days beforehand.
He and a woman were found collapsed together in a hostel room after staff had to force open the door and it was clear they had overdosed during a three-day drugs binge.
Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson said Duncan had previous convictions for dealing heroin and cocaine and had weapons convictions for having a knife and a taser.
