Coatbridge drug dealer found slumped in van as cops find snap bags

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard that Carlos Akelis couldn't keep his eyes open when police detained him for a search.

Akelis, 23, of Woodhall Place, Coatbridge, narrowly avoided a prison sentence when he admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

The first offender also admitted being in charge of a vehicle with more than three times the permitted amount of the Class A drug in his system.

Ruth Rabey, prosecuting, said Akelis was arrested in Railway Road, Airdrie, on July 5 last year.

She told the court: "Police officers were in the area around 6am when they saw a van parked in an unusual position.

"The accused was slumped in the driver's side. The pupils of his eyes were dilated and there was a white residue on his nostrils.

"He was detained for a search, and items including scales and snap bags were found.

"The officers also recovered money in the form of bundles of notes.

"They seized the accused's phone, which displayed multiple messages regarding the supply of drugs.

"He was slurring his words and was unsteady on his feet. He fell asleep in front of the police officers."

Defence lawyer Urfan Dar said Akelis had been supplying cocaine to friends and was not a commercial dealer.

He stated: "His drug consumption had got out of hand. One of his friends stays around the corner from where the van was parked.

"My client had asked his partner to pick him up, but she was not available."

Mr Dar said Akelis started using cocaine after a family bereavement and to ease the pain of a serious knee injury that had prevented him from playing football.

The solicitor added: "He works for his father, who is a monumental sculptor. He says the £340 found in his car was his wages."

Sheriff Paul Haran said the circumstances of the offences were "very concerning".

He added that the court always took a "very serious" view of the supply of a Class A drug like cocaine.

Akelis was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid community work, which the sheriff warned was "very much a direct alternative to imprisonment".

He was also fined £520 and banned from driving for a year.