Mum and daughter face jail for dealing heroin

Published 10 Feb 2010 12:06

A MOTHER and daughter from Tillicoultry have been warned they could be facing jail after being caught in a police operation targeting heroin dealers.

Theresa Spiewak (43) and Donna Beresford (23) appeared on indictment at Alloa Sheriff Court last Wednesday and admitted being involved in the supply of the class A drug on 21 and 22 January last year.

Fiscal depute, Keri Marshall, told the court officers from Central Scotland Police carried out an investigation into low level heroin dealers during December 2008 and January 2009.

Operation Ultraviolet, as it was codenamed, involved undercover officers making test purchases from local dealers.

On 21 January non-uniform officers were in Alloa town centre when they engaged Spiewak and her daughter in conversation.

The pair indicated they had heroin that still required to be cut and left the two officers with a mobile number to call in an hour.

Later, when they phoned, Spiewak told them to come to her and Beresford's home address at Ramsay Terrace. After being allowed in to the property the police officers found Beresford in the living room with a mirror on her knees cutting a brown powder into small amounts.

The officers asked for two wraps of heroin and Beresford wrapped the powder into cigarette paper and clingfilm. They paid £20 for the transaction and later examination confirmed the drugs to be heroin with a purity level of 40 per cent.

Drug deal

The following day officers returned to Spiewak and Beresford's home and were led in by Spiewak.

In the living room they saw Beresford with two males, she was seen to be holding a syringe with brown liquid and had a tourniquet around her arm. Beresford told her mother to sort them out as she was busy injecting.

The officers asked for two more wraps, which were also later found to have a purity of 40 per cent.

Afterwards a search warrant was issued and on 9 February last year it was executed and the property was raided. During the search a cellophane wrap with brown powder was recovered along with two mobile phones and £40 in cash.

When being interviewed by police Beresford indicated she had been a heroin user for two to three years and used five to six bags daily. She said the heroin had been hers and had nothing to do with Spiewak.

Beresford's solicitor, Mr Anderson, said she had a fairly heavy heroin addiction and has recently been going to the drug advice services LADA Link and Signpost. He added that Beresford is now waiting to get on to a methadone programme.

Alastair Burleigh, Spiewak's solicitor, acknowledged his client was on probation for possession of drugs at the time of the incident but said she had also been attempting to get assistance.

He added, "Although she has more of a record the majority is of a vintage."

Sheriff David Mackie deferred for background reports until 4 March.

He told the pair, "You must realise the possibility of a custodial sentence in the end is very real."

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