A GREENOCK drug offender caught with several bags of cocaine hidden within the inner lining of his jacket has gone unpunished at the sheriff court.

Brandon Scott had quantities of the class A drug secreted on his person when plain clothes police stopped and searched him in the street.

Officers had been carrying out patrols in the Tobago Street area after receiving a tip-off that drug dealing was taking place at a common close, the court heard.

They found that Scott, 24, had several small bags of cocaine tucked inside his jacket lining after detecting a 'strong smell of cannabis', a sentencing hearing was told.

A procurator fiscal depute said: "He was detained and searched and a zip-lock bag containing five small bags of white powder and two rock substances was recovered from the inner lining of his jacket.

"They tested positive for cocaine weighing 1.8 grams."

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Scott also breached a nighttime curfew bail condition to remain at his home address in Greenock.

The court heard that police tried to trace him at the property over three consecutive nights in June last year without success, with a witness telling constables she had not seen or heard from him.

Days later Scott turned himself in to Greenock police office.

Defence solicitor Amy Spencer said her client had 'had an argument with his mother and went to a friend's to stay'.

Regarding the possession of drugs charge, Miss Spencer said: "He was self-medicating due to his mental health and no longer uses substances."

Sheriff George Jamieson admonished Scott on the drug offence and fined him £170 for the bail breach, payable at a rate of £10 per fortnight.