A man once jailed over the killing of a drug dealer has been caught with a stash of heroin after a raid by cops.
James Henry was snared with the haul after being freed from prison early during an 11-year sentence for culpable homicide. Police recovered around £1,000 of heroin from Henry’s Edinburgh home while executing a search warrant.
The 47-year-old was returned to prison following his arrest to serve an unexpired portion of his jail term. He was convicted of taking part in a drugs heist gone wrong in Musselburgh, East Lothian, in April 2010.
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Knife-wielding Henry and his cohorts hatched a plot to rob Dennis Parker who ended up fatally stabbed. Henry appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday and pled guilty to heroin possession, reports the Record.
Fiscal depute Xander Van Der Scheer said police officers executed a warrant at Henry’s address in the city’s Niddrie area at 8.30am on December 2 2020.
Mr Van Der Scheer said the drugs were valued at between £900 and £1000.
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Defence agent Stephen Mannifield said drug addict Henry was returned to prison in January last year and served a further seven months.
Sheriff Frank Crowe admonished Henry over the offence, telling the accused it was a “serious matter” but he was giving him the “opportunity to move on”.
Henry was sentenced to 11 years and three months in March 2011 after being found guilty of culpable homicide at the High Court in Perth.
His co-accused Ross Hendry, then 37, was given a minimum 18 years for murdering Dennis, 27. He was given a further two years for trying to dispose of evidence.
The pair, along with two female friends, hatched a plot to rob Dennis of drugs and money after hearing how the frail eight-stone heroin dealer had been robbed twice previously.
The court was told the women gained entry by telling Dennis they wanted to buy heroin from him before sending a phone message to Hendry and Henry.
The two men burst into the flat wearing balaclavas and carrying knives, the trial heard, and demanded cash and drugs.
The court heard they were left shocked after Dennis pulled a sword out from the side of his sofa before Hendry plunged a knife into him.
Hendry was still carrying the bloodstained knife when passers-by volunteered to help the gang push their broken down getaway car to get it started.
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