It's often said that life is stranger than fiction, and it really can be. And sometimes, apparently, it can also be exactly the same.
Enter 37 year-old Mark Renton, who's been sentenced to six years in prison for selling heroin on the streets of Edinburgh.
No, it's not the next phase of the Trainspotting movies, which featured Ewan McGregor as a strung-out junkie called Mark Renton who also tried to sell some of the stuff. This Mark Renton is a real person.
The dealer, who shares his name with McGregor's character, was sent to jail following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, which is where the film is set, reports the Mirror.
Credit: Channel Four Films
Trainspotting author, Irvine Welsh, even tweeted his reaction following the news - copying in cast members to the message.
It's the fourth time Renton has been found guilty of trafficking diamorphine, after being caught with heroin worth around £620, a bunch of cash and a phone in the Pilton area of the Scottish capital back in April.
The trial was presided over by Lord Pentland, who told Renton he had been given 'numerous opportunities' to address his addiction.
"In view of the nature and extent of your record I am unable to accept that you are willing seriously to address, even with support, your underlying problems," Lord Pentland said, reports the Mirror.
"In my considered view, you present a substantial danger to public safety. The trade in class A drugs, in which you have willingly played an active part over many years, is one that brings misery and despair to many communities."
Mark Renton was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh (Credit: PA)
Directed by Danny Boyle, Trainspotting was released in 1996 and based on the bestselling novel by Irvine Welsh. It followed the adventures of the fictional Mark Renton - also known as Rent Boy - and his gang of friends as they embark on their sordid adventures.
At the start of this year, a sequel, T2 Trainspotting, was released, over 20 years after the first movie came out. Set two decades later, and largely based on Welsh's novel Porno, which features a number of the same characters, it charts Renton's return to Edinburgh after stealing £16,000 from his friends and fleeing to Amsterdam.
We'll wait to see if the real-life Renton follows suit. Now that really would be weird.
Featured Image Credit: Channel Four Films
