Self-Medicating Drug User Caught Snorting Powder In Van

A Cheltenham man was caught with a cocktail of drugs he claims he needs to alleviate the pain of a decade-old injury after a passer-by saw him snorting an illegal substance while parked in his van.

Angus Duncanson, 45, of Smenham Farm, Icomb, had cocaine, heroin, magic mushrooms and cannabis on him, which police estimated to originally have a street value of £1900.

Duncanson pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates Court to four counts of possessing the drugs in Linden Gardens, Bayswater, west London on August 17 and was bailed until November 26 for a probation report.

Prosecutor Miss Louise Burnell told the court today: “It was 4pm when police were called to Linden Gardens after reports from a member of the public of a man in a van sniffing something.

“The police found the defendant in the van, along with several different drugs.”

Officers seized two packages of cocaine weighing 1.1gms; a 2.22gm package of heroin; 3.89gms of magic mushrooms and 380gms of both herbal and cannabis resin.

“Combined the drugs had a street value, according to the police of one thousand nine hundred pounds, but a lot of it was covered in mould so was worthless,” added Miss Burnell.

Duncanson was arrested on suspicion he was a drug-dealer, but an analysis of his mobile phone failed to find any evidence of “criminal activity” and he was charged with simple possession.

When questioned by police the first-time offender admitted the drugs were for his own use, claiming he had a fall ten years ago and suffered chronic pain, which was alleviated by the use of cannabis and heroin.

“He said he smoked heroin on a daily basis and spends one hundred and twenty pounds a week on drugs, using the money he received from a house sale.”

His lawyer Mr. Mark Haslam told the court: “There is a variety of drugs, but the amounts are small.”

He estimated the cocaine to be merely £37 worth, the heroin £100 and the mushrooms £38.