Man caught with shotgun and five kilos of drugs says it was for personal use

A West Lothian man who was caught with a sawn-off shotgun and drugs after being freed on bail following a £500,000 cannabis seizure claimed that almost five kilos of amphetamine found by police was for his personal use.

Unemployed Gary Weir, 39, of West Main Street, Whitburn, had been identified as an associate of a drug supply ring during a police surveillance operation, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

And during a raid on his home police found the amphetamine, which had a street value of £24,000, and the sawn-off shotgun, the court heard.

Advocate depute Douglas Fairley QC told the court: “As a result of the ongoing operation into significant drug dealing activities by a number of individuals in West Lothian various search warrants were sought and granted on September 26 last year.”

One of the warrants was to carry out a search at Weir’s address. Weir was detained at the flat on October 5 and the single barrel gun and six cartridges were found in a landing cupboard along with 4.8 kilos of amphetamine.

Firearm

Weir told officers that he had bought the shotgun before Christmas 2011 and cut down the barrel and stock using a saw.

The prosecutor said: “He stated that the amphetamine was for his own personal use, that he had had possession of it for a long time and he had forgotten that it was there.”

Weir admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis and amphetamine, illegal possession of the firearm and shortening its barrel.

He had previously been freed on bail after being caught with over £500,000 worth of cannabis.

Advocate depute Fairley said on April 6 last year police were keeping a watch on the M74 road in the Abington area after intelligence indicated that Weir had travelled to England to collect drugs and would be bringing them back to Scotland for someone else.

Weir was seen driving a Ford Transit van and was stopped by officers. Eight boxes, each containing 100 bars of cannabis, were found in the rear of the vehicle.

Custody

The 200 kilos of cannabis resin were estimated to be worth in excess £570,000 if broken down into street deals and sold.

A search at the father-of-three’s home found diaries and a notebook with drug notations along with scales and a set of instructions for a hydraulic press.

Lord Turnbull today deferred sentence on Weir until next month at the High Court in Glasgow. The judge remanded him in custody.