Inverness women and London men recruited to help sale of heroin in Highlands

Two Inverness women and two men from London who were recruited to assist in the sale of heroin in the Highlands avoided jail sentences because they were "vulnerable" and "taken advantage of".

The quartet were arrested following a police raid on a house in Wyvis Place, Inverness on July 13 last year.

John Sabharwal (27), of Benares Road, Plumstead, Shadrach Ekpo (20), of Spa Road, London, Kerry McDonald (46) and Christina Swanson (40), both of Wyvis Place, pleaded guilty to separate charges at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Sabharwal and Ekpo admitted being concerned in the supply of the class A drug between June 29 and July 13, 2023.

McDonald admitted being concerned in the supply on July 13 alone and Swanson to allowing her home to be used for the purposes of supplying drugs on July 13, 2023.

Twenty-five packages of heroin containing a total of around 10grams with a potential street value of £750 were recovered.

The sum of £1019.42 was also found in Sabharwal's possession which was confiscated by the court.

Defence solicitor David Patterson said of Sabharwal: "He has previous convictions which faces a predicament. Since the death of his parents, his life has declined and it was a lonely existence for him in London.

"He is struggling to cope and has to plough a lone furrow. Support would benefit him, as recommended in the background report."

For Ekpo, Mr Patterson said the university student was "now back on track thanks to his parents”, adding: “He became quickly involved and was out of his depth. I doubt we will see him in court again."

Sahbarwal was ordered to carry out 200 hours’ of unpaid community work and Ekpo was told to do 150 hours.

They were both placed under 18 months of social work supervision and have to take part in a rehabilitation programme in England.

For McDonald, solicitor advocate Shahid Latif said: "The vice that grips her starts at the age of 30 when there was a significant deterioration in her health. The years that followed involved the use of drugs for pain suppression.

"Her culpability is restricted to one day and data on her mobile phone. If she had not responded to two incoming messages, she would not be here today."

McDonald was sentenced to remain under social work supervision for a year, as was Swanson, whose solicitor advocate Mike Chapman said: "This is a lady who has suffered significant trauma in her childhood and continued into adult life.

"Drugs were used as her coping strategy. But she is now drug free and has relocated away from the area."

The sheriff told all four: "You were part of a much bigger operation but I take into account there is a bigger picture here. Two of you were vulnerable and two of you were taken advantage of."