Drugs baron and student partner jailed for cocaine trafficking

A DRUGS baron and his university student accomplice were jailed for a total of nearly 17 years yesterday for trafficking in cocaine.

Alexander Donnelly, 50, was sentenced to ten years after being caught by undercover police for the second time in a decade.

The former taxi driver has also agreed to hand over almost 177,000 in crime profits after his latest conviction.

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He admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine between June and December in 2003 in Glasgow, Manchester and London.

His accomplice, David Martindale, 32, from Livingston, West Lothian, was jailed for six and a half years after admitting a similar offence.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, the judge, Lord Kinclaven, yesterday told Martindale, a final-year student at Heriot-Watt University, that there was "no alternative" to a custodial sentence.

Cocaine worth up to 325,000 on the streets was seized by police in operations against Donnelly and his accomplices.

Three seizures netted a total of 6.3kg of the Class A drug.

Donnelly, of Wallacewell Crescent, Glasgow, previously held a Scottish record for the largest confiscation order after 270,000 in assets were seized by authorities when he was jailed for trafficking heroin in 1996.

The court was told that a flat in Scotstoun Street, Glasgow, was set up as a small factory or processing plant to prepare and sub-divide cocaine.

Martindale, a former publican, acted as Donnelly's lieutenant.

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The judge told him: "You carried out the role of No 2 or right-hand man to Donnelly with a more direct or hands-on role in the operation such as meeting couriers or checking on arrangements."

Maurice Smyth, the defence solicitor advocate, said Martindale had gone into the pub trade but one of the bars he was involved with suffered 60,000 uninsured fire damage. Donnelly put up money to re-establish the business. Mr Smyth said that although Martindale had some misgivings, he later joined Donnelly in selling drugs, a move that had proved to be "a horrific aberration with dreadful consequences".

He added: "Heriot-Watt have promised their assistance in the completion of his degree. This is his final year."

Detective Chief Superintendent Stephen Ward, of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, welcomed the sentences. He said: "These convictions send out a clear message to criminals throughout Scotland that drug trafficking will not be tolerated in any way.

"Criminals who engage in such illegal activity should expect to be identified and targeted in a robust and professional manner.

"Any criminal assets accrued by these criminals will be identified and reported to Crown Office for potential confiscation."