Perth man in court over heroin charges
A Perth man has been accused of dealing in the class A drug heroin on a city housing estate - and then receiving and transferring criminal property.
Two co-accused, from Liverpool, have also been charged with offences “aggravated by a connection with serious organised crime.”
All three had a further Perth Sheriff Court hearing scheduled for September 30 and they had their bail continued.
The trio are: George Crone (36), of Newhouse Road, Letham; 22-year-old Blayne Gray, of Culme Road, and Max Donovan (24), of Cottesbrook Road, both Merseyside.
They face being involved, to varying degrees, in a five-charge indictment.
It is alleged that between September 10 and 23, 2020, Crone was concerned in the supply of heroin at a house in Newhouse Road.
A second charge claims that between the same dates, at Glengarry Road, Perth, and the M9, near Stirling, that having received criminal property - namely cash - he then transferred it.
It is alleged that on March 19 and 20, 2020, at a wooded area near Almond Bridge, Inveralmond, Gray was concerned in the supply of heroin and that the offence was aggravated by a connection with serious organised crime.
Donovan is also said to have been concerned in the supply of the same drug at the River Almond and Perth’s Oakbank Road between February 18 and September 23, 2020, and that there was again a link to serious organised crime.
He also faces a second charge which states that between February 19 and September 23, 2020, at The Lade, the River Almond and Glengarry Road, all Perth, and the M9, near Stirling, having received criminal property - cash - he concealed and transferred it.
The charge adds“that it will be proved the offence was aggravated by a connection with serious organised crime.”
Perth lawyer John McLaughlin said Donovan offered to plead guilty to the two offences he faced but he added:“I understand that’s not acceptable at this point.”
Depute fiscal Lora Apostolova confirmed that was the case.
The case was continued to the end of next month for further disclosure from the prosecution.
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