Court / Jail for man who supplied heroin from hospital

A LIVERPOOL man has been jailed for five months for supplying heroin after a trial at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank found 41 year old John Prendergast, of Leavale Road in Liverpool, guilty after hearing evidence from a police expert witness.

The detective constable and Prendergast were cross examined by procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie and defence agent Tommy Allan before the sheriff reached his judgement.

Prendergast was convicted of supplying heroin after 36 wraps of diamorphine were found in his possession in Gilbert Bain Hospital on 8 April 2019.

The sheriff considered “compelling evidence” that the heroin wraps were a one-sixteenth ounce of the drug broken down into £10 street deals.

Prendergast said that he had been shot in the foot in December 2018 and moved to Shetland to get away from trouble in Liverpool.

He said that the heroin was for his use whilst convalescing to feed his addiction and to reduce pain that was wracking his body as a result of his injuries and subsequent ill health. The drugs, he said, were in deal wraps to try and limit his use.

The court heard that, prior to being hospitalised, Prendergast had stayed for a week at a house at Norgaet frequented by people with heroin connections and he continued to visit the house from hospital. The heroin had been supplied by one or more of these individuals.

The sheriff said that the expert witness considered the facts and circumstances pointed to Prendergast being involved in the supply of heroin.

He said that he did not accept Prendergast’s explanation for the packaging of the drugs and took account of 52 days he had already spent in custody when sentencing him to five months imprisonment.