A CLYDEBANK drug dealer has been warned he could face jail after he put a job interview before a court appointment.

Connor Smillie was due to be sentenced last week after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine at his flat in Mountblow over a two month period last year.

The 22-year-old admitted being involved in supplying the class A drug from his home in Park Court, Littleholm Place, between February 16 and April 16, 2020.

Smillie originally faced further accusations of being in possession of quantities of MDMA, cannabis and ketamine, but not guilty pleas to those charges were accepted by the Crown.

Sentence had been deferred to allow social workers time to prepare a background report.

But a hearing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week was told that no report was available because Smillie had failed to show up to an appointment with social work staff and had failed to tell them what happened.

Smillie’s defence lawyer, Scott Adair, told Sheriff Maxwell Hendry on August 4 that his client had been offered an interview for employment, and had chosen to attend that rather than go and see a social worker.

Sheriff Hendry replied: “It almost beggars belief.

“He knows what he ought to have done. He chose to prioritise a job - that’s wholly unacceptable.

“If there was a phone call to say there had been a job interview...he just ignores a court appointment and goes off to the job interview.

“He failed to attend, failed to give advance notice, failed to reply to several phone calls.”

Mr Adair said: “He has, for what it’s worth, gained the employment.”

But Sheriff Hendry warned: “He might be about to lose that employment.”

Addressing Smillie directly, the sheriff said: “This was nothing short of atrocious decision making on your behalf. You made the wrong decision.”

He said that “with hesitation” he would not jail Smillie immediately, and gave him until September 1 for the report to be prepared.

The sheriff added: “If no report is available on the next occasion, I can more or less guarantee you will go into custody.

“One of your conditions of bail is to comply in full with preparation of reports.

“One last chance.”