Police officers ingested cocaine thrown by Aberdeen drug dealer

A drug dealer hurled a block of cocaine at detectives during a raid on a house in Aberdeen leaving officers feeling effects from the powder, a court heard on Thursday.

Michael Beaton then punched one of the detectives in the face as they moved in to break up an operation dealing in cocaine and heroin and producing crack cocaine.

During the raid on the property at Waulkmill Crescent in Aberdeen, police seized Class A drugs worth more than £88,000 on the streets.

Advocate depute Colin Edward told the High Court in Edinburgh that police forced entry to the property.

The prosecutor said: “As they entered the accused Michael Beaton ran towards them and threw a block of compressed powder containing cocaine.”

“The block hit [an officer] in the face, causing the powder to go into the air and on the officers and their clothing. Officers ingested some of the powder whilst it was in the air,” he said.

He took hold of Beaton’s right arm and instructed him to go to the floor but was attacked and punched.

The officer inhaled some of the powder through his nose and mouth and noticed that his lips, tongue and throat were tingly and started to go numb.

He was coughing and tried to wash as much of the white powder as possible from his mouth with water.

Beaton, 27, who resided in Aberdeen, but is currently a prisoner, and his co-accused Dylan Dunlop, 27, of Aberdeen, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin between April 5 and June 19 this year.

Beaton, who has previous convictions for assault, robbery, fire raising and drugs, also pled guilty to assaulting an officer, who was then in the execution of his duty, by punching him on the head on June 19.

He further pled guilty to culpably and recklessly throwing a quantity of powder containing cocaine at police officers which struck an officer and caused he and DC Mark Rennie, DC Jordan Blyth and DS John Pirie to ingest it.

The court heard that police had recovered drugs sold through the dealing operation before staging the raid. As well as recovering drugs from the house they also found items used to adulterate them and to manufacture crack cocaine.

Full and empty bottles of ammonia were found along with a pan containing ammonia that was in the process of being heated.

The judge, Lord Ericht, deferred sentence on the pair to obtain background reports and remanded them in custody. The Crown has raised proceedings to seize crime profits from them.