Man dealt cocaine from flat
An East Kilbride businessman has been convicted of dealing more than £35,000 of cocaine at a flat in Blantyre’s Main Street.
Paul Macdonald, of Gullion Park, an ex-trialist with Hearts FC, pleaded not guilty to a charge of being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug at the premises between March 12, 2014 and March 19, 2015.
However, following a four-day trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court last week, a jury found the 29-year-old alarm installation specialist guilty of the charge by majority verdict.
The jury heard from DC Scott McLeod who had carried out a search of the Main Street flat on March 19 last year with colleagues.
The officer said a schedule was drawn up cataloguing items recovered from the property which included bags containing white powder and drugs paraphernalia like a hydraulic press, a hydraulic pump and moulds.
According to a joint minute of evidence agreed by the prosecution and defence, lodged on the third day of the trial, Macdonald’s fingerprints were found on food waste bags containing the bulking agent benzocaine and bags of benzocaine in a hallway cupboard and on a plastic box found in the kitchen which contained cocaine and benzocaine.
Mention was also made of a blender coated in cocaine, digital scales coated in cocaine, a Stanley knife coated in cocaine – and sieves and metal bowls were also found to have traces of cocaine and benzocaine.
The identity of the major contributor was unknown – but Macdonald was identified as the minor contributor.
Powder recovered from a kitchen cupboard at the property weighing 925.78 grams was found to contain cocaine and benzocaine.
White powder weighing 12.15g when analysed was also found to contain cocaine and benzocaine.
The court had heard in evidence from the Police Scotland stop unit that 14g was a recognised amount of the drug for dealing purposes with 1g representing £40 per deal.
The 12.15g amount would therefore net £486 and the 925.78g just over £37,000.
After the jury returned their verdict last Friday, Sheriff Thomas Millar deferred sentence on Macdonald until September 8 for a criminal justice social work report.
He refused Macdonald bail and he was remanded in custody meantime.