Dealer’s £10k bribe to reach drug haul failed

Court hears £29k in cash recovered

A cocaine dealer tried to bribe a member of staff at a Bothwellbased recovery service with £10,000 to get hold of a cache of the class-a drug and mobile phones within an impounded car.

Colin Landsborough offered the money to the 911 member of staff on February 1 this year after a car which police had been interested in was uplifted from Bellshill.

Fiscal depute Michael Macintosh told Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday that 23-year-old Landsborough was being sought by police on an unrelated matter. On January 31 officers looking for the accused saw a car they were interested in parked in the street and arranged for its recovery through 911 in Bothwell.

A member of 911 staff had been waiting for a colleague at the Fallside Road yard when he was approached by the accused and “another party.”

Landsborough, Mr Macintosh added, asked the member of staff if he would assist in getting the vehicle out of recovery and was told that would not be possible.

The duo asked if “at the very least” the member of staff would allow him access to the car to get mobile phones and cocaine. They offered £5000 and then £10,000.

However, the member of staff refused and the accused and the other man left in a car.

Mr Macintosh said the conversation was captured on a lorry security camera and the member of staff contacted police.

When officers searched the vehicle they found 91 bags of white powder. When analysed it was found to be cocaine. Each bag weighed 1g with a street value of £40 per bag. The total value was therefore £3640.

Officers believed it was “extremely unlikely” that the drug would be for personal use.

The fiscal depute said Landsborough attended at the police office on a voluntary basis. When interviewed he made no comment.

On May 31 this year officers attended at the accused’s home in Bellshill’s St Margaret’s Court. When they spoke to him he was agitated and advised them he had “coke and gear” in the kitchen.

During a search of the property they found a polythene bag containing a white rock substance - a mix of cocaine and benzocaine.

It weighed a total of 152.65g and was found to be a mix of 28 per cent cocaine. The value of the block was approximately £3500 said Mr Mactintosh, but if subdivided in 1g deals it could realise just over £6000.

A further bag containing a rock-like substance was discovered. It weighed 239.33g and was found to be 68% purity.

The fiscal depute said if divided into 1g deals it could realise as much as £22,000.

Scales with traces of cocaine were found in the house along with a large number of polythene bags and a large amount of cash.

A vehicle was also searched. Inside were a set of scales, a black bag with benzocaine. A “significant amount of cash” was also taken from a second vehicle.

The total amount of money taken from the house and the two cars amounted to £29,000.

Landsborough, whose address was given as Low Moss Prison, admitted two charges of being concerned in the supply of the class-a drug, one while on bail and a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Sheriff Marie Smart deferred sentence on Landsborough until September 27 for a criminal justice social work report. He was remanded in custody meantime.