A drug dealer has been convicted of exploiting a 14-year-old boy to sell heroin and cocaine, and of assaulting a police officer. The dealer, who was not named in court documents, was also found guilty of being concerned in the supply of drugs and aggravated assault.
Police spotted the dealer in Glasgow's Castlemilk area on September 19, reportedly clutching two phones and appearing nervous. He attempted to flee officers but was apprehended, during which a constable sustained shoulder ligament damage. Approximately £3,000 of heroin, which had fallen from the dealer's jacket during the struggle, was seized.
The 14-year-old boy, identified as a victim of exploitation by the Home Office's National Referral Mechanism, was reportedly made to distribute small samples of cocaine to addicts across western Scotland. His mother expressed distress upon learning of the situation.
The dealer also claimed to have been exploited. While several offenders have been prosecuted under the Human Trafficking Act, this case is noted as one of the first involving a child being used to deal class A drugs for financial gain. Prosecutors accepted a not guilty plea regarding allegations of preying on another teenage boy for drug sales.
Defending counsel stated that the dealer came from a stable background and that he too had faced pressure from others. The court has remanded him in custody pending the preparation of reports before sentencing.