Jailed for drug dealing: the IT expert whose £100k salary wasn't enough

Desmond McGuire carried out the drug operation on his day off from work at Hewlett-Packard.

His accomplice Alan Burns, who stored the cannabis packages for a week, was jailed for six years at the High Court in Glasgow.

McGuire, 37, hired a van to transport the drugs from the premises of a storage firm in Glasgow to Hillington in the city, where the transfer was made. But he did not realise he was under police surveillance and the lorry carrying the cannabis resin was stopped near Ayr on its way to the ferry.

The driver was arrested and the cannabis was found hidden among lager kegs.

Forensic analysis of the hessian wrapping round the ten packages of cannabis revealed McGuire's DNA and a handprint.

Jailing McGuire, of Old Drumchapel, Glasgow, temporary judge Rita Rae, QC, told him: "You organised this venture and greed must have been your motivation.

"You have a previous conviction for possession with intent to supply.

"This was a planned venture to transport drugs to Northern Ireland in a lorry containing alcohol. Fortunately the police had you under surveillance and the plan was foiled."

McGuire was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow of being concerned in the supply of the drug, despite his protests that he thought he was helping his friend James English to move some tiles.

At the time of his arrest, McGuire was earning 60,000 a year, but by the time the case came to court he was on 100,000 a year at Computer Sciences Corporation.

Co-accused 58-year-old Burns, of Richmond Avenue, Clarkston, Glasgow, who stored the packages of cannabis resin in his premises, was convicted of being involved in the supply of cannabis.

Mr English, 35, of Mugdock Road, Milngavie, who was also accused of being involved in the supply of cannabis resin, walked free from court after the case against him was found not proven.

The jury accepted that he was simply driving his friend McGuire around that day and knew nothing about the drugs.

The court heard that police were granted permission to carry out direct surveillance on McGuire in July in relation to alleged drug offences, and on 8 August mounted an operation which led to the arrest of the lorry driver as he drove towards Northern Ireland and the seizure of the drugs.

McGuire said he was surprised when police arrested him in January 2009 at his home.

Yesterday his defence QC Edgar Prais said: "Mr McGuire maintains his innocence."

Advocate Tony Graham, representing Burns, said: "He became involved in this unwittingly. He had suspicions about what was in the packages – but he did nothing about his suspicions."