A Larkhall man caught with cocaine and cannabis worth £35,000 has been jailed for three years.
Francis Gilluley, a CCTV engineer, claimed he was forced to look after the drugs after running up a debt to dealers.
Gilluley, 37, of Wellgate Street, was sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
He admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and herbal cannabis at his then home in Avon Road, Larkhall, and elsewhere on April 18 last year.
Jennifer McLaren, prosecuting, said police went to the council-owned property after a tip-off.
Officers detained Gilluley as he was getting into a van and he told them: “There’s some stuff just inside the door.”
Three bags, each containing around one kilo of cannabis, and a bag of cocaine, weighing half a kilo, were found in the hallway.
Defence agent Diarmid Bruce stressed that Gilluley wasn’t a dealer.
Mr Bruce told the court: “He pleads guilty on the basis that he had fleeting possession of these drugs on one day only.
“He was in full-time employment but ran up a drug debt and pressure was put on him to hold these items.
“He cares for his sister, who has brain damage, and custody would have a significant impact.”
But Sherff Brown told Gilluley: “Being involved in the supply of a class A drug (cocaine) is almost always bound to result in a severe sentence.
“The quantities of cocaine and cannabis in this case were substantial.”
Gilluley was jailed for three years, reduced from four because of his guilty plea.
