Court / Pair given lengthy prison sentences after bringing drugs worth more than £100k on ferry north
TWO men who brought cocaine and cannabis with a combined potential value of almost £120,000 to Shetland in a bid to pay off debts have been given lengthy prison sentences.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank told Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday that taking drugs into the isles will not be tolerated.
Ross Bradley, of Bishopbriggs, previously admitted being concerned in the supply of the class A and class B drugs at the Aberdeen and Lerwick NorthLink ferry terminals on 18 and 19 January this year.
Meanwhile Connor McNeil, of Clydebank, previously admitted being concerned in the supply of the cannabis.
McNeil also admitted being in possession of an offensive weapon, namely a knuckle duster.
At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday Bradley, 37, was given a total prison sentence of 30 months.
McNeil, 28, was given a prison term of 27 months.
Police acting on intelligence stopped the pair – who appeared in court via videolink from custody – as they drove off the NorthLink ferry on the morning of 19 January in Lerwick.
Officers found there was an “overpowering smell of cannabis” in the car, and when searching it discovered two large boxes of the drug – one half filling the back seat, and another filling the boot.
Lerwick Sheriff Court previously heard that when questioned Bradley said they had just come to Shetland for a night out.
The court had heard how police seized 124.02 grams of cocaine, which could have achieved a value of around £15,000 if broken down into its smallest possible quantities and sold on the street.
Almost 7kg of cannabis was found – worth roughly £42,000 if sold in bulk.
But procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie previously said that would have been worth up to £103,740 if sold on the street.
The court had heard at a previous hearing how McNeil gave “fairly fanciful” responses when questioned by police, saying he “didn’t know” where he was going to in Shetland or where he would be staying.
Mackenzie had said this was “more than just a couriering exercise”, and that it appeared the pair were making an “opportunistic” attempt to raise money “by nefarious purposes”.
Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that both men took part in the supply “enterprise” to pay off debts.
McNeil’s defence agent Judith Reid argued that there were exceptional circumstances that merited her client avoiding a custodial sentence.
These included that McNeil standing to lose out on an electrician apprenticeship he had nearly completed, while she also mentioned family related responsibilities.
Regarding the offence, Reid said McNeil was in a state of panic after his employer had gone under.
With concern over how he would finance his family, McNeil made the “extremely foolish decision” to take up the opportunity to bring drugs to Shetland to pay off more than £1,000 of debt.
The solicitor described it as a “fight or flight decision” – but later said it was the “worst decision he will ever make”.
Reid said his client viewed himself as a “transport link” in the operation and although he was surprised by the value of the drugs which ended up being involved, he carried on with his role.
“His view is that he knew there would be repercussions if he stopped taking part in the enterprise,” she said.
“He knew there would be more powerful people up the chain.”
Representing Bradley, defence agent Tommy Allan said the value of drugs also shocked his client.
He also said the real beneficiaries of the operation were not those who took a car of drugs to Lerwick.
Allan said the former army man – who had a wedding coming up at the time of the offence – was “offered the chance to make a quick buck”.
He said there has been “devastating consequences” for his client, with Bradley since separating from his partner.
In terms of a prison sentence Allan said there were also concerns about family responsibilities.
During sentencing Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said the court took into account personal circumstances.
But he said there needs to be a “fair and proportionate sentence”.
The sheriff said the value of drugs meant they were “sizeable commodities”
He added that the pair needed to be punished – and that a message needed to get out that “this will not be tolerated”.
Both the prison terms will be backdated to when the pair first entered custody on 23 October.
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