Aberdeen man who was 'living advert' for not taking drugs jailed for six years after £4,000 cocaine find

A man who is a "living advert" for not taking drugs has been jailed for six years after police found more than £4,000 of crack cocaine in his possession.

Christopher McDonald, 41, had four previous convictions for drug dealing when he was arrested whilst possessing the narcotics on March 25 2024.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Tuesday how McDonald was detained after police turned up at his flat in Roslin Street, Aberdeen.

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Prosecutor Alan MacKay told judge Michael O’Grady KC that McDonald told officers to ‘f*** off’ when they turned up at the property.

However, they forced entry to the home and found McDonald was keeping some of the drugs in his pocket.

They later took him to the city’s Kittybrewster Police station and conducted a strip search of him - officers then managed to recover more crack cocaine from between his buttocks.

Mr MacKay told the court that detectives also seized £437.17 in cash from McDonald.

Talking about the narcotics, Mr MacKay said: “The drugs seized had a street value of £4,100.”

The story emerged after McDonald, of HMP Grampian, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of drugs whilst on bail.

Judge O’Grady heard how McDonald had served jail terms for similar offences. He was jailed for drug dealing in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

The court heard how McDonald had fallen foul of tough legislation designed to tackle repeat offenders who resort to drug dealing.

The law states that people in McDonald’s situation should receive a seven year jail sentence unless judges can be persuaded otherwise.

Defence advocate David Taylor told judge O’Grady that his client had spent years battling a drug problem.

Mr Taylor said that McDonald had spent an earlier part of his life living with his father and three other males in a “bachelor pad” style environment where there were “no boundaries”.

He said that McDonald was introduced to drugs by an older cousin.

Mr Taylor added: “Although the bachelor pad environment sounds like fun, it in reality meant that there were no boundaries.

“He thinks, with the benefit of hindsight that his father should have put in place more boundaries.”

Mr Taylor said his client was involved in “subsistence dealing” where he sold enough drugs to pay for his own habit.

The lawyer added: “He is a living advert for why people should not take drugs given the effect that it has had on his own life.”

Judge O’Grady decided to reduce the jail term for McDonald from seven years to six.

Passing sentence, he said: “I have listened with great care to everything that has been said on your behalf by your counsel.

“It is a very sad story for you and for indeed society as a whole.

“However, I am obliged to by legislation to impose a sentence - it will be one of six years.”