Heroin dealer snared during anthrax probe

A drug dealer who was caught by police investigating the supply of heroin contaminated with anthrax has been jailed for four years.

Lee Forteath, 26, from Dumfries, admitted selling the Class A drug to six people in the town between February and April this year.

Judge Lord Turnbull said he would have been jailed for six years if he had not pleaded guilty at an early stage.

The court heard Forteath had previous drug convictions involving cocaine.

Laura Thomson, prosecuting, said: "He admitted supplying to six people, heroin with a total value in the region of £38,000 to £40,000."

Asperger's syndrome

The High Court in Glasgow was told the drug was part of a supply chain that originated in Liverpool.

Forteath also said that along with another person, he had a suitcase stuffed with heroin that had a potential value of £26,000.

His defence counsel, Susan Duff, said the fact the her client had the condition Asperger's syndrome partly explained his drug activities.

She said: "He became involved solely for financial gain after he found difficulty finding and keeping jobs because of his Asperger's."

Judge Lord Turnbull told Forteath: "You involved yourself in the heroin trade and were in the process of supplying more when you were caught.

"If it had not been for your early plea of guilty I would have jailed you for six years."