Ex-Stirling café boss from Fife bought more than £3k of cocaine for ‘personal use’ after business failed

A former Stirling café boss from Fife bought 52 grammes of cocaine for “personal use only” after his business failed due to Covid, a court has been told.

Derek Crews appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of the class A drug between February 26 and March 24 2022.

The 43-year-old’s defence lawyer said prosecutors accepted his client’s guilty plea on the basis the drugs were not for commercial use.

The court heard previously police detained Crews and his then-wife at their then-home in Clackmannan ahead of a search there.

One of the detectives asked if there were any drugs in the house, and Crews said: “There is a wee bit of white in the dressing room for personal use only.”

Within the dressing room, officers seized a wrap containing 52.33g of cocaine, with a street value of between £3,150 and £4,160.

They also found a set of scales with residue on them on the living room mantlepiece and a small number of grip seal bags in a drawer below the kitchen hob.

Supplied to family members

Defence lawyer Alastair Ross said a guilty plea was tendered on the basis the drugs concerned were purchased in bulk by his client on a non-commercial basis, a position accepted by the Crown.

Clarifying, Sheriff Derek Hamilton asked: “Was it the accepted position from the Crown that this operation was limited to him supplying only to his wife and sister-in-law?”

Mr Ross replied: “Yes.”

The lawyer acknowledged Crews, of Factory Road, Buckhaven, has an “appalling” criminal record and noted he is now divorced.

He said they had set up a café business trading at Stirling bus station, adding: “Unfortunately, due to the Covid pandemic, the business failed and that sent Mr Crews on a downward spiral again and he and his wife reverted to previous difficulties.

“The break-up of the marriage was a wake-up call.”

Mr Ross said a social worker says Crews is currently engaging well with a drug treatment and testing order (DTTO).

Sheriff Hamilton further adjourned sentencing until November 4 to await the outcome of another matter and bail was continued.

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