Chef claims golf club professional sold him cocaine

A CHEF at a historic golf club has told a trial how he bought cocaine from a course professional, who is accused of being part of a drug gang.

Kenneth Glen, who gave lessons at the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club in Prestonpans, is one of the seven-strong group accused of peddling the Class A drug across the Lothians.

Club chef Kevin Gould told the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday that he bought hundreds of pounds worth of cocaine from 25-year-old Glen, often doing the deals at the course’s pro shop.

Mr Gould, who said he had now quit using the drug, told the court that wraps of cocaine at £30 a gramme were sometimes posted through the letterbox of his Prestonpans home after he had arranged a buy.

On several occasions, the 37-year-old said he had bought up to seven grammes of cocaine from Glen after getting together a “kitty” with friends.

Glen, of Quarrybank, Dalkeith, is facing cocaine supply charges alongside Gary Yorke, 45, of Quarrybank, Dalkeith; John Russell, 46, of Trafalgar Lane, Leith; Steven Blacklaw, 26, of Brunswick Road, Leith; Dean Macholecki, of Currieside Avenue, Shotts; Andrew Baillie, 37, and Lee Calder, 30, both described as prisoners at Saughton jail.

The charges relate to a period between August 4, 2009 and February 2011, with allegations of supplying cocaine at locations including the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club, Bannatyne’s Health Club at Newcraighall, and the Asda car park at the Jewel.

Mr Gould, who has worked as a chef at the Royal Musselburgh for four years, said he had been a “recreational” cocaine user for two years.

He told the court that Glen had supplied him with the drug “maybe once or twice a month” over a period of around six months in 2010.

Asked by advocate depute Jonathan Brodie QC if he ever texted Glen to arrange a buy, Mr Gould said he would often send a message reading “Can you drop me off a g?”, meaning a gramme of cocaine. He said he would also meet Glen to collect drugs at the Co-op store car park in Prestonpans.

Mr Gould also said that he sometimes saw Gary Yorke, who was a member at the Royal Musselburgh, with Glen in the club restaurant.

Jonathan McDougall, who works as a personal trainer at an Edinburgh health club, denied buying cocaine from Glen at the Asda car park while giving evidence yesterday.

The 30-year-old admitted driving to the car park to meet Glen on the evening of October 11 last year, but said he was selling the golf pro supplies of nutritional supplements.

Mr Brodie put it to him: “I would suggest that it wasn’t a sports supplement being handed over, it was cocaine.”

Mr McDougall replied: “I don’t believe that. I refuse that. I disagree with that strongly.”

Mr McDougall, a member of the Royal Musselburgh club where Glen had given him golf lessons, added that he had never used cocaine.

The trial continues.