Man sold cannabis from East Kilbride Premier Inn hotel room

A MAN who ran a cannabis-dealing operation from his bedroom in a busy Premier Inn hotel has been jailed for 22 months.

Hamilton Sherif Court. Picture: JP

Norman MacSween, 54, sold the drug to customers who flocked to the hotel to buy powerful skunk cannabis from him.

MacSween, of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, was busted after police arrived at his room in the budget hotel to check up on his health following a road crash.

He had discharged himself from hospital in January but when police went to hotel in East Kilbride, eagle-eyed officers spotted him putting a bag laden with drugs into a box.

A search discovered four bags of cannabis worth £800 as well as £3000 in fifty pound notes.

The hotel bust came less than two weeks after police found a massive cannabis haul belonging to MacSween at his girlfriend’s home in East Kilbride.

Officers discovered 42 plants worth £25,000, as well as six mobile phones, five sets of scales and 50 items of high value jewellery, when they visited the home of Evelyn Elliott, 52.

MacSween had earlier admitted three charges of producing, supplying and being in possession of cannabis.

Today at Hamilton Sheriff Court he was sentenced to 22 months behind bars by Sheriff Douglas Brown.

Joseph Shields, defending, said: “He was remanded for this offence and that was a harrowing experience for him because he has never been in trouble before.

“The gravity of the charges and the nature of the offending are acknowledged but a community based disposal could be imposed in this case and he could carry out the maximum period of unpaid work if that was deemed appropriate.”

Depute fiscal Lauren McRobert had earlier told how police had visited MacSween at his hotel where he had been staying for two weeks.

She said: “Police observed the accused push a bag of herbal cannabis into a box on the floor.

“They also noticed the room smelled strongly of cannabis.

“There was a set of scales on the sofa bed.”

Miss McRobert also told how cannabis had been found at MacSween’s girlfriend’s property.

She added: “During the search they entered the bedroom which had been set up as a growing room for a cannabis cultivation.

“She said ‘its not mine, he has really went and done it now.’”

Sheriff Brown said: “Given the gravity of the charges I consider the only disposal available is one of imprisonment.”

Elliot had not guilty pleas to three drug related charges accepted by prosecutors.