Sheriff blasts drug dealing woman for lying to court

A FEMALE drug dealer from Oban was threatened with perjury charges while giving evidence during her boyfriend’s trial this week.

Ciaron McLuckie, 19, of 2 Burnside Court, Oban, told Oban Sheriff Court on Monday that a man she didn’t know let himself into her house and placed a dealer’s quantity of drugs into a jacket hanging in her wardrobe before coincidentally bumping into her in the street.

McLuckie was giving evidence during her boyfriend’s trial.

Early in the day she had pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug, cannabis, after a police raid on her house on August 21.

Police had sought a search warrant on August 21 for McLuckie’s home and the home of her boyfriend, Calum MacColl, at 11a Miller Road. MacColl is nine years her senior.

Eoin McGinty, procurator fiscal, suggested to McLuckie that her partner was ‘using her’ but she claimed she had no knowledge of who had put the drugs in her home.

McLuckie further claimed she met a person in the street who told her the drugs were in her house. But she main- tained she did not know who the person was. MacColl, who pled not guilty to the charges, regularly shouted from the dock that police officers were lying, that his girlfriend was naked when police arrested her and that witnesses were lying.

Sheriff Ruth Anderson QC warned MacColl on four occasions that he would be found in contempt of court if his behaviour continued.

Speaking to McLuckie as she gave evidence, Sheriff Anderson warned the young woman that it was ‘ very serious’ to tell lies to a court.

She said: ‘ You have already pled guilty and I will be sen- tencing you so do not tell lies to this court.’

McLuckie claimed she had made a guess about how much cannabis was in her possession to within 10gms of its correct weight, which was not accepted by the sheriff.

McLuckie said she had been mistaken when she told police officers during an interview that MacColl had taken some of the drugs for his own use. The same amount, she said, that had been taken had ended up in MacColl’s house.

In MacColl’s house, micro weighing scales, cut-up cling film and cash of £1,030 was found.

Giving evidence Police Con- stable Danny MacBeth said these items were often found in the homes of drug dealers.

McColl was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of drugs and he and McLuckie will be sentenced after reports are completed.

Sheriff Anderson said: ‘I am exercising my common sense in this case. There is no doubt that MacColl was concerned in the supply of drugs.

‘I don’t know who advised you on the concocting of this story but it has probably gotten you into even more trouble.

‘ There is a very simple rule in court – tell the truth. I have heard lies today. You can expect a custodial sentence.’