Lawyer fined after police catch him with dope in court
Experienced solicitor now faces being censured by watchdogs
He knows how bad it looks. It was a stupid mistake. He could not have been thinking straight
A lawyer has been fined after being caught in possession of cannabis in court.
Michael McKeown had the drug when he was searched by police.
The 51- yea r - old was preparing to represent a cl ient when cour t staf f alerted officers.
It is understood they doubted McKeown’s claims he was a solicitor when he arrived at Glasgow Sheriff Court wearing a Celtic training top.
Police stopped and searched him and found a small quantity of cannabis.
McKeown, a partner at law firm Callaghan McKeown & Co, admitted an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
He was handed a fiscal fine of £ 325 after being detained on April 6.
The direct measure is an alternative to prosecution. It means the offender is spared a court appearance and escapes a full criminal record.
Emergency legislation passed by Holyrood allowed cour ts to increase the maximum f iscal f ine from £300 to £500 to help prevent a backlog of cases during the Covid-19 outbreak.
A source close to McKeown said he had been struggling to cope with lockdown conditions at the time of the offence. He now faces being censured by legal watchdogs over the incident, which has been described as a “personal disaster”.
Solicitors can face serious sanctions when their behaviour falls short of standards.
The Law Society of Scotland can investigate the incident or refer it to the Scot t ish Sol icitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal. They can remove a solicitor’s licence to practise and impose a fine.
McKeown, who lives in Glasgow’s west end, had been digging in his mum’s garden when he was called to attend court.
A colleague had to take his place after he was stopped by police.
A source said: “Michael is hugely embarrassed by this.
“He knows how bad it looks and just wants to get the whole thing straightened out as quickly as possible. It was a stupid mistake. He couldn’t have been thinking straight.”
McKeown is an experienced sol icitor who appears in criminal trials across central Scotland.
In February, he represented a thug who was jailed for punching three pol ice horses before a Scottish Cup quarter-final match.
Celtic fan Kevin McGuire was jailed for 10 months at Glasgow Sheriff Court after he attacked the animals and officers before his team played Airdrie in January 2019.
One of McKeown’s criminal trial sat Paisley Sheriff Court had to be deserted last December after a juror logged on to Facebook and found out information about the accused during the trial.
In 2006, McKeown was given a police warning over his alcohol- fuelled antics on a flight home from Egypt.
He clashed with cabin crew after being told off for making too much noise.
Police intervened when the plane landed at Glasgow Airport.