Solicitor in court for supplying drugs
7 Feb 06
Controversy over anonymity order as lawyer admits smuggling into Barlinnie
A Scottish solicitor pled guilty yesterday to supplying heroin and diazepam tablets with a street value of up to £1,638 to a prisoner in Barlinnie jail.
Lord Kinclaven, the judge trying the case agreed to a request by defence counsel Paul McBride QC to grant the lawyer in question anonymity by an order under the Contempt of Court Act, following a request by the Crown for a ban on identifying the prisoner involved.
However, the order has been challenged by the media and a hearing will take place in the High Court this morning.
The High Court in Paisley heard yesterday that the solicitor passed a cigarette packet stuffed with the drugs to the prisoner. Following a tip-off, staff at Barlinnie had searched the prisoner before and after the visit. The drugs were found on the second search and DNA found on the sticky tape used to seal the cigarette packet matched samples taken from the solicitor.
Advocate depute Peter Ferguson QC told the court that because of the quantities of drugs involved, it was plain that they were not intended solely for the use of the prisoner and were to be used to supply the prison system in general.
The accused was ordered to return to the High Court in Edinburgh on 27 March for sentence.
Conservative justice spokesperson Margaret Mitchell said the solicitor needed to be "named and shamed", while her SNP counterpart Kenny MacAskill said court proceedings were fundamentally a matter of public record.