Gang member jailed for six years after A90 chase

Jason Lindsay aided the supply of drugs worth £200,000

A former gang member who played “a significant role” in trafficking highpurity cocaine with the potential to sell for £200,000 on the streets of Tayside was jailed for six years yesterday.

Jason Lindsay was the target of a police surveillance operation and was chased down by officers after he fled from a car that was stopped on a dual carriageway.

Judge Lord Woolman told Lindsay at the High Court in Edinburgh: “You pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of almost four kilos of cocaine with a street value of just under £200,000. That is a very serious offence.”

Lindsay faced a minimum sentence of seven years imprisonment for his third conviction of class A drug trafficking.

The judge told him he would have jailed him for nine years if he had been convicted of the crime after trial but would reduce the sentence to six following his guilty plea.

Lord Woolman told Lindsay that he took into account the weight and value of the drugs, his criminal record, his attempts to get rid of evidence and flee and “the significant role you played in the operation”.

Lindsay, 41, a father-of-four, has previously been convicted of 48 offences including violence, possession of offensive weapons and drugs charges.

He admitted that on various occasions between November 23 and December 14 last year, he was concerned in the supply of cocaine.

The offence was aggravated by a connection with serious organised crime.

Advocate depute Mark McGuire said on November 23, surveillance officers watched Lindsay leave an address on Milton Street, Dundee, and take a taxi to the city’s railway station, where he bought a return to Nottingham.

Cell site analysis for his phone showed that he was still in Nottingham three days later and during that day he had frequent contact with another man who later arrived in the English city.

Officers continued surveillance on Lindsay with the situation finally coming to a head after officers intercepted a car in which the accused was travelling on the A90, on December 14.

They brought the Vauxhall Corsa to a halt and Lindsay climbed out and bolted, crossing both carriageways chased by three officers.

Mr McGuire said: “The pursuing officers were faster than the accused and caught him at the roadside of the westbound carriageway.”

A dog handler was brought in with a sniffer dog which located plastic bags containing cocaine that had been thrown from the car.

More than 200 grams of cocaine was recovered, and the drugs were found to be 84 per cent pure.

The defence counsel said Lindsay realised he has provided the worst possible role model for his children.

Lord Woolman told Lindsay: “Now is the time to change.”