What a dope

A drug dealer from Oldham was caught with nearly £12,000 worth of heroin — because his car ran out of petrol on a busy dual carriageway.

Jordan Flitcroft also led police straight to another dealer because he had typed the drop-off destination into the vehicle’s satellite navigation system.

Tayside Police would have had no idea Flitcroft was bringing a major consignment of Class A heroin to Scotland if he had not ground to a halt on the A90.

Officers only pulled over to help what they thought was a stranded motorist and they eventually stumbled on to a stash of heroin in his pocket.

Perth Sheriff Court was told yesterday that Flitcroft was bringing the drugs to Scotland because they were worth twice as much north of the border.

Flitcroft (22), of Eldon Street, was jailed for 22 months after he admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs worth £11,500 in Perth, on May 23 last year.

Fiscal depute Alan Kempton told the court: “At 4am police were on patrol on the A90 Perth to Dundee road near Kinfauns when they saw a van broken down at the side of the road.

“The accused was sitting in the driver’s seat.

“The van had apparently run out of fuel. Due to the dangerous position it was in it was removed and taken to the local recovery firm’s yard.”

Mr Kempton said police then became suspicious after watching Flitcroft take off his jacket and a shoulder bag and place both items into the van.

Officers then picked up the jacket and discovered a package of 115 grams of heroin, along with a single bundle of cash amounting to £2,490.

Mr Kempton said: “There was also a sat-nav device in the vehicle, which gave the address the van was destined for. Flitcroft denied he was involved in supplying drugs and said the heroin was for his own personal use.”

Flitcroft was jailed for 15 months at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court in September last year after he admitted two charges of having sex with an underage girl.

Yesterday, he told the Scottish court that he had turned to heroin while the other case was pending because he was so stressed about what would happen to him.

He said the case had become well-known in the local community and he had been targeted for abuse about being a paedophile, solicitor Brian Allison said.

Sheriff Philip Mann said: “Drugs are a terrible scourge on our community and the courts have to do whatever they can to discourage drug dealing.

“You allowed yourself to get involved in an operation which was quite significant, given the value of the drug involved.

“You became involved willingly and have to take the consequences.”

Flitcroft’s appearance in court had been delayed twice before because it had taken around a month to move him 300 miles north from an English prison.

Mr Kempton said: “I am told that in England they are transferred from prison to prison until they reach Scotland.

“I have absolutely no idea why that should be.”