Liverpool man released early from jail had £60k worth of drugs in Inverness and Forres
A Liverpool man who was released early from prison after being jailed for three years for fire-raising in Inverness was caught with almost £60,000 worth of Class B drugs.
Joseph Robinson (27) was found by police in properties in Inverlochy Crescent, Inverness and Brig Wynd, Forres between February 2 and February 7, 2024 with over 1.5kg of ketamine.
He admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs and was jailed for a total of 27 months.
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Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Robinson should have been imprisoned until June this year.
But he was released early and went on to commit further offences. He had been jailed in October 2022 for setting fire to a house in Benbecula Place with stolen petrol and ramming a car occupied by a man and a woman.
Police had received a report of a man overdosing on the drug in a house in Inverlochy Crescent and discovered Robinson, who was taken to hospital for treatment.
Then five days later, police in Forres were called to a house in Brig Wynd after complaints from neighbours and again Robinson was found with the drugs in the house.
Defence solicitor Iain Maltman said his client had moved to the Highlands to get away from the drug scene.
"He didn't manage to keep off drugs here and became a heavy user of ketamine,” he said. “He hopes to maintain sobriety on his release."
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank noted that the maximum street value of ketamine was £58,960 and ordered that Robinson serve 12 months of his unexpired portion of his three-year sentence.
Then he added another 15 months for the drugs offences.
