A cannabis dealer caught on the Stirling University campus with more than 100 pouches of the drug - worth almost £3000 - avoided a jail term this week.
Abdul Aslam had admitted a charge of being concerned in the supply of the class-B drug to another or others in the university grounds on July 19 last year.
Stirling Sheriff Court was told on Wednesday this week that police had received intelligence relating to a vehicle and the supply of drugs in the area.
Fiscal depute Lindsey Brooks said officers spotted a vehicle within the Stirling University grounds at 3.05pm. The accused was its sole occupant.
When officers spoke to Aslam, 42, at a car window they could smell cannabis.
A search of the vehicle and the accused was carried out. Nothing was found on the accused.
Within the car, however, there was a black zip purse containing 33 pouches of herbal cannabis.
There was also a shoulder bag containing 75 pouches of herbal cannabis, Ms Brooks added.
Three press-seal bags containing herbal cannabis were also found behind the front passenger seat.
Cash had also been lying on the front console – £116.29, £22.23 and £180, as well as £760 in the shoulder bag, amounting to £1078.52 in total. The total weight of the cannabis was 226.5g with a value of £2820.
Aslam’s solicitor told Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon that her client, a father of three, was remorseful and had taken responsibility for the offence.
She added that gambling had been part of the problem. However, Aslam had no outstanding debts and his finances were now “in a much better position.”
He was also assessed as low risk of reoffending and there was “nothing analogous on his record”.
Sheriff O’Hanlon told Aslam, of Govanhill, Glasgow, that the offence was a serious one which would merit a jail sentence.
However, he was prepared to impose a Community Payback Order as an alternative to custody.
The order comprised 200 hours’ unpaid work to be completed within six months. Sheriff O’Hanlon also imposed a Proceeds of Crime confiscation order, agreed between the prosecution and defence, for the sum of £1078.52 to be paid within six months.
