Cannabis pair avoid jail

Two men have been sentenced after police seized cannabis worth £20,000 in Coatbridge.

Ryan Martin and Bernard Forrester admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class B drug at Martin’s then home in Blairhill Street, and elsewhere on May 9, 2019.

Martin, 31, avoided a prison stretch when he appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court last week, while Forrester, 27, of Corsewall Street, Coatbridge, got a community payback order at an earlier hearing.

Harvey Diamond, defending Martin, said:“i ask the court to take the view that, while the offence crosses the threshold for a prison sentence, a non-custodial option would be appropriate. Hopefully, he has moved away from offending.”

Sheriff Fergus Thomson told Martin he was prepared“by a narrow margin”not to jail him.

Martin will be under supervision for two years and must complete 120 hours of unpaid community work. He will also be confined to his home between 8pm and 8am daily for 145 days under an electronic tagging order.

Martin was also banned from the roads for a year on an unrelated dangerous driving charge.