"DEAL in class A drugs, you can expect to go to prison".

That's the message from sheriff Alastair Brown, who made the comments after jailing a 39 year-old Dunfermline woman for drugs offences.

Tracy Lockhart had said she was storing amphetamines and cocaine in her efforts to deal with a drugs debt.

But she was told that despite pressure being placed on her, her crime had to be dealt with seriously.

Appearing for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Lockhart, of Inverewe Place, had admitted possession of class B drug amphetamine and class A drug cocaine in her home on December 24 last year.

Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia told the court that police were granted a warrant to search Lockhart's home on Christmas Eve last year. Officers and a drugs dog discovered one kilo and 754 grammes of amphetamine and 15.2 grammes of cocaine as well as a quantity of money.

Solicitor Chris Sneddon said the offence arose from his client's own drug use in relation to amphetamine.

"She clearly doesn't want to be sent to custody for this," he said. "Her position is she has learned her lesson. She has taken great steps to address her own drug use and put herself in a position where she is no longer subject to any pressure."

Sheriff Alastair Brown said he understood that Lockhart was concerned about her own drug debt.

"I understand you were under pressure, I understand that you probably didn't feel like you had very much choice," he said. "The High Court of Judiciary has made it quite clear that everybody who is concerned in the supplying of drugs, and in particular, class A drugs, can expect to be dealt with seriously.

"You were concerned in supplying cocaine, a class A drug. According to the figures I have seen, last year people were dying in Fife at the rate of about one a week as a result of drugs and cocaine is one of the drugs which has been involved."

He jailed Lockhart for 16 months.

After sentencing, Sheriff Brown added: "There are expressions of shock in the public benches. Having regard to the guidelines, that is a lenient sentence. The window of sentencing goes much higher for class A drugs.

"Deal with class A drugs in any capacity and that person can expect to go to prison for a significant period of time."