Drugs haul earns man prison term

A man found with £40,000 worth of herbal cannabis and amphetamine in a garage in Motherwell has been jailed.

John Clemmett (63) was sentenced to 16 months in prison following a surveillance operation last year.

Officers watched Clemmett drive off from a property in Glen Court on September 9 before returning a short time later. He was then stopped and officers searched his car.

A warrant was granted for officers to search the house and the garage.

Police recovered five kilos of herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of £29,070 and 952 grams of amphetamine with a value of £9520.

Clemmett was also charged with being concerned in the supply of cannabis resin at Glen Court on the same date.

He denied this charge along with the possession of cocaine and ecstasy charges.

Clemmett’s not guilty pleas were accepted by the procurator fiscal.

His lawyer told Sheriff Marie Smart his client had suffered a number of health issues.

However he hoped there could be an alternative to custody.

But Sheriff Smart dismissed the suggestion and sentenced Clemmett to 16 months’ imprisonment.

Detective Inspector Graeme Naysmith from Police Scotland’s Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit said this week:“we will not tolerate criminals who blight our communities by selling drugs and profiting from the most vulnerable members of society.

“Specialist officers work daily to identify these individuals and put a stop to their behaviour.

“Information provided from the public is absolutely vital to this work and I would ask for their continued support as we will act on any intelligence we receive.

“Anyone with information regarding the supply of controlled drugs is asked to contact their local police station.”