Former soldier admits key role in Edinburgh cocaine trade

Published on Tuesday 22 December 2009 09:23

A FORMER soldier who served in Iraq has been unmasked as the second-in-command of a drugs gang which flooded the Capital with cocaine.

David Togher is facing jail after pleading guilty yesterday to his role in the Inch-based gang, which was targeted by a massive police operation.

The former soldier with the 1st Battalion The Royal Scots avoided handling the drugs himself, managing a team of underlings who carried out the day-to-day trafficking. Police today said the 24-year-old's downfall would send a "clear message" to dealers in the Capital that the force was taking a "zero tolerance" approach to the trade.

The police operation seized more than 450,000 of cocaine over a six-month period while targeting the gang, and gathered evidence against Togher as part of its upper echelons.

Togher was the principal lieutenant to the gang's leader and together they controlled much of the city's cocaine

supply. The Inch gang was also linked to a series of shootings across Edinburgh last year as part of a violent feud with rival gangsters from north Edinburgh.

Togher and the gang leader directed a network of hardened young criminals from Gilmerton and the Inch, garnering a notorious reputation and making themselves a prime target for police.

The gang were known to have links with organised criminals in Liverpool, where it is believed they sourced the drugs to bring into Edinburgh.

Togher, from Danderhall Crescent, Danderhall, Midlothian, was only 18 when he was sent to southern Iraq in November 2003 for duties in Al Zubayr province and Basra.

Speaking to the Evening News before he was deployed, Togher said: "It should be a good experience on the streets of Basra."

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, he admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine between 1 July and 13 December 2007 in Edinburgh, Bonnyrigg and Liverpool.

Advocate depute Gary Allan QC said in July 2007 a police operation was launched to "identify, target and actively dismantle a criminal network working from the Southside of Edinburgh".

The prosecutor said: "During the operation, it became apparent that the accused, David Togher, was a substantial and significant operator in a serious and organised crime group involved in the supply of cocaine in the Edinburgh area."

He said it became clear following surveillance and analysis of mobile phone records that Togher "occupied a role as one of the organisation's lieutenants". Mr Allan said Togher was identified as a "manager/supervisor/facilitator" for lower-ranked members, maintaining "very close control" in monitoring their actions.

He added: "David Togher was linked to the various individuals by means of mobile telephone records showing very frequent texts and calls to them at or about the time of their drug activity and detention."

The court heard that three men from the crime group had already been jailed after earlier admitting cocaine supply charges.

Thomas Harvey was jailed for five years, Ryan Moore for 40 months and Paul Hislen for 29 months.

The judge, Lady Dorrian, deferred sentence on Togher until next month for a background report.

A police spokesman said: "Our investigations showed David Togher to be a middle-man in the supply of cocaine within the city.

"While not found to be in possession of any controlled or illegal substances, enquiries highlighted that he was a significant player in their distribution.

"We remained confident that the body of evidence that had been gathered in relation to this case would prove successful at trial and is testament to Lothian and Borders Police's zero tolerance approach to the drugs trade.

"David Togher's guilty plea should send a clear message to others associated with drugs-related criminal activity that we will always actively purse conviction for anyone found to be involved."