A MAN caught dealing cocaine has been put under a curfew for four months.

Frank Smith, 55, previously admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug at his home in Hawthornhill Road, Dumbarton.

He was arrested on January 13 this year and returned to Dumbarton Sheriff Court on October 31 to learn his sentence.

Smith's defence solicitor said his client had faced "untold pressures and untold difficulties" after the loss of a family member.

The man had sought solace in substances. And while the value of the drugs was "low", "his involvement in these offences are as tragic as one can get".

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said: "I'm told that you understand what damage these drugs do to people and you perhaps more than anyone. And yet you allow yourself to be part of the machinery."

He imposed a community payback order with social work supervision for 12 months.

Smith must do 210 hours of unpaid work in the community in that time. And he must stay in his home between 7pm and 7am for four months.

The sentence was a direct alternative to custody.