A bungling drug dealer was caught importing £2500 worth of cannabis from Canada after getting a parcel delivered to his home address.

Horticultural student Steven Kennedy claimed he thought it was legal because it was coming from Quebec, where cannabis use is legal for medicinal purposes, but a sheriff jailed him for 140 days.

Kennedy was caught out when an airport sniffer dog intercepted the package.

Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: "The social work report perhaps gives an insight into how he understood the position he got himself into.

"He thought because he was buying it from Quebec and it was legal there that he wasn't committing an offence. I have sat him down and explained what the laws actually are.

"He has never been in trouble before. He has held down employment. He has started a course at university. He has taken a tumble to himself."

Instead of the packet of cannabis being delivered to Kennedy's flat by the postman it was brought to his door by officers from Police Scotland.

Kennedy, 35, of Scott Street, Perth, admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis at his home and at Coventry International Postal Hub between August 17 and September 5, 2014.

Fiscal depute Stuart Richardson told Perth Sheriff Court that Kennedy had made the purchase and planned to sell half the consignment to one of his friends.

Mr Richardson said: "A parcel was detected at the post office hub in Coventry and checked out. It was found to contain 280g of cannabis. It arrived from Canada on its way to Mr Kennedy.

"The information was passed to the local police and they obtained a search warrant for his house. They found a small amount of cannabis in the house."

One of Kennedy's friends was in the house and he confirmed that they had hatched a scheme to import the drug from Canada and split it between them.

Sheriff Fiona Tait said: "While I appreciate you appear as a first offender this is an offence the court will take very seriously. I am not satisfied there is an alternative to custody."