Drug dealing couple jailed after bus station snare

A DRUG dealing couple found with over £11,000 worth of heroin they had taken on the bus from Kirkcaldy to Dundee were jailed for a total of almost eight years yesterday.

Nicky McKenzie, 33, and Caroline Tait, 35, both described as prisoners at Perth, were caught by drugs officers in Dundee’s Seagate after alighting at the bus station.

The pair were captured after police received a confidential tip-off that they were carrying large amounts of heroin and would be arriving in Dundee late at night.

Both admitted they were concerned in the supply of diamorphine on April 7 at Seagate Bus Station and at Bell Street HQ.

On being searched at Bell Street HQ two bags of diamorphine, weighing 73.8 grammes and 4.1g, were found in McKenzie’s jacket, while Tait had a bag of heroin weighing 39.9g, the fiscal said.

Other drugs paraphernalia was found, including mobile phones and notes with mobile telephone numbers on them.

Solicitor Paul Parker Smith, for McKenzie, said he was transporting the drugs from Kirkcaldy to Dundee to settle a drugs debt.

He said however he took issue with the Crown’s value placed on the drugs, saying the current going rate on the street for heroin was around half of what the Crown had stated.

He said although McKenzie had previous convictions for drugs offences, this was his first for drugs trafficking.

Tait’s solicitor Kevin Hampton said he aligned himself with Mr Parker Smith over the valuation of the drugs.

Sheriff Elizabeth Munro told McKenzie she had calculated he should return to prison for 14 months as the unexpired portion of a previous prison sentence for which he had been released early on licence.

She added another 37 months for the new drugs offence, meaning he should serve a total of 51 months in prison from yesterday.

Sheriff Munro sentenced Tait to 40 months in prison.

The solicitors for both McKenzie and Tait have intimated they are to appeal against their respective sentences.