Grangemouth first offender allowed drug dealers to store two grand of cocaine in his home

Christian Pullinger, 22, had lost his job and was given an opportunity by certain people to use his premises as a “conduit” in their class A drug operation.

He appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, having admitted being concerned in the supply of class A drug cocaine at a premises in Glenbervie Road, Grangemouth on December 20, 2022.

Mandy Jones, procurator fiscal depute, said police recovered 214 grams of cocaine worth an estimated value of £2480.

Martin Morrow, defence solicitor, said: “He had no previous convictions and the offence itself happened a year and a bit ago now. He seems to be a young man who had separated from his family – simply drifted away from his home.

“He lost his employment and it was suggested to him by people he could potentially be used as a staging post for their drugs. His house was a conduit – he was no further up any chain than that.

"He is a comparatively naive young man. When he tried to explain to these people he wanted out of this arrangement he soon realised it wasn’t a contractual agreement that would allow him to do that.”

Sheriff Maryam Labaki noted how serious an offence being concerned in the supply of a class A drug was and placed Pullinger, 48 Cultenhove Road, Grangemouth, on a supervised community payback order for two years with the condition he complete 240 hours of unpaid work in that time.