An East Lothian dad started selling drugs during the Covid lockdown period after finding it hard to gain employment, a court heard this week.
Jamie Nicolson, 33, began earning cash after struggling to gain employment by dealing quantities of cocaine and cannabis to others from his home in Musselburgh, East Lothian, in 2021.
READ MORE - Edinburgh police deploy dogs as gang of 'eight men with weapons' spotted
However, the dad-of-two was snared by cops following an anonymous tip off that he was involved in the supply of drugs.
On Friday, fiscal depute Gillian Koren told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that police officers raided Nicolson’s family home at around 9.30am on December 30, 2021.
The court heard both Nicolson and his partner were at home and during the search of the property and a vehicle parked outside officers discovered thousands of pounds of cash and drugs.
Ms Koren said several packets of white powder which proved to be cocaine were found in the white BMW as well as three mobile phones and bundles of bank notes.
The court was told a total of 42.5 grammes of cocaine said to be worth between £950 and £2000 was found along with 800 grammes of cannabis to the value of £3150.
Police also uncovered several bundles of cash which totalled close to £25,000 during the search of the home.
The fiscal said the mobile phones contained messages to and from Nicolson which showed he was concerned in the supply of both the Class A and Class B drugs from his home.
Ms Koren added after he was arrested Nicolson confessed to a police officer he was “only doing it due to Covid as he was struggling to find work”.
Lawyer Edward Barr, defending, said his client was a first offender and asked for his sentencing date to be extended due to a family matter which had been booked previously.
Sheriff Donald Corke agreed to the motion and deferred sentence for reports to be compiled to August.
Nicolson pleaded guilty to two offences of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis to others from his home in Musselburgh, East Lothian, between September and December 2021.
READ NEXT:
Kate Middleton's 'swift head turn' as Camilla gives King Charles 'stern' talk
26 photos of Edinburgh clubbers in the 2000s - see if you recognise any faces
