Drug dealing not proven during trial

£26k ecstasy seized from safe in wardrobe

An Airdrie man has been cleared of a drug-dealing charge after ecstasy worth £26,000 was seized from a safe in a bedroom wardrobe.

Joseph Findlay was accused of being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug at his girlfriend’s home in Hamilton.

However, a jury brought in a not proven verdict after a two-day trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court last month.

The court heard Findlay’s girlfriend wept as police officers told her the contents of the safe which was found in the bedroom she shared with Findlay.

She said she hadn’t a clue what was being stored in the wardrobe and was “thoroughly sickened” by the discovery.

Findlay, 20, of Waverley Drive, gave a “no comment” interview to police who detained him after the raid on November 24 last year.

PC Gary Bone said he and colleagues went to the house armed with a search warrant and forced entry after getting no answer. There was no-one at home.

They had to use a hammer, a chisel and a jemmy to break into the safe.

Bags of drugs, digital scales, a knife, playing cards and a mixing bowl were discovered; it was effectively a drug dealer’s kit, PC Bone told Paula Russell, prosecuting.

In a statement read out to the jury, the defence conceded that Findlay’s DNA was found on a bag containing nearly half a kilo of ecstasy. Excerpts from a statement his girlfriend gave to police were also read out in court.

She was said to be shocked and upset during the interview, and was crying a lot, denying any knowledge of the contents of the safe which she said belonged to Findlay.

She told officers: “I feel like an actual mug, an idiot. I feel so sick. This is horrible.”

The court heard the house was rented by the girl’s mother, Tracy Allan, who admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and amphetamine.

Kevin Bennett, 26, of Moss Avenue, Caldercruix, admitted possession of cocaine.

Allan, 39, and Bennett are due to be sentenced on December 29. They had their bail continued while background reports are prepared.