A MAN who had a Breaking Bad-style drug cutting lab in his Clackmannanshire caravan – like the hit TV show’s Walter White – avoided jail after his lawyer told a sheriff he had taken up meditation.

William Hall (41), right, was involved in an operation to mix cocaine with a chemical at his family holiday caravan.

Police who pounced – in Dollar’s picturesque Riverside Caravan Park – found high-tech lab gear, including a hydraulic press, and five kilogrammes of Benzoyltropine, which is often used to “bulk out” street cocaine without masking its effects.

On Wednesday 2 July Stirling Sheriff Court was told the time-served joiner developed a serious daily cocaine habit through the influence of his partner at the time, but has since got “shot” of the woman, sworn off drugs and drink, and taken up meditation.

Fiscal depute Dev Kapadia told the court earlier that officers raided the caravan on 13 September 2013 after being tipped off about the operation.

They found a black sack which contained “a substantial amount of white powder” – later identified as Benzoyltropine.

He said, “They also found a hydraulic press which was recovered in one of the back rooms, as well as a metal mould plate.

“There were a number of other items which were recovered, including a mirror with some white residue which was analysed and found to be cocaine.

“The accused was detained. He said that he was employed and lived in the caravan.

“He said that the powder and the press that were recovered by police belonged to another individual and were not his.” Although it is not a crime to possess Benzoyltropine, the court was told that as the commonly used bulking agent was discovered along with the hydraulic press and the traces of cocaine, police concluded it was used in the supply of the class A drug.

Hall, of Grangemouth, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine at Caravan 4, Riverside Caravan Park, Dollarfield, Dollar, from 5 June to 13 September 2013.

His solicitor, Gordon Addison, told the court, “Mr Hall was in a relationship around the time of this offence. His partner lived in the caravan and they both had a serious addiction to the abuse of cocaine.

“He has drug use in his past but cocaine wasn’t his thing until he met the lady that became his partner and their habit became daily.

“Mr Hall was using his savings to fund it, but that was never going to be enough. He eventually was unable to work.

“It was she that introduced Mr Hall to cocaine and she got a jail sentence for that. He was left with a mountain of debt, a cocaine habit and three children.” He said Hall struggled to cope with that and agreed to keep the lab gear and bulking agent for his drug dealer in exchange for cocaine.

Mr Addison said the recovery of the items was a “relief” for Hall.

He added, “It brought things with his relationship to a head. He’s shot of her now. I don’t think she was terribly keen to be away but he’s got rid of her because he’s realised what’s best for him.

“He has taken up some form of meditation since the beginning of the case, he is not doing drugs, he is not drinking alcohol and he has not reoffended.” Sheriff Wyllie Robertson told Hall he would normally consider a prison sentence for this type of offence, but due to the “circumstances of the case” he was prepared to consider an alternative.

Hall was then sentenced to 250 hours of unpaid work.