Disabled Fife man jailed for smuggling cocaine to brother in jail visit

Thomas McArthur was caught passing the drugs over to his brother during a visit and now he is also behind bars. McArthur, 47, of Orkney Place, who has had a leg amputated, appeared at Alloa Sheriff Court in a wheelchair. He admitted that on 5th February at HMP Glenochil, he supplied a controlled drug, cocaine, to Gordon McArthur.

Depute fiscal Bernadette Cuthbertson said that at 10.55am McArthur was visiting his brother in the prison. Around 35 minutes into the visit there was a distraction caused by another prisoner and McArthur was seen “awkwardly” handing over a package to his brother. It was spotted by prison officers and the brother swallowed the package in a bid to avoid detection.

Defence solicitor Kelly Howe said her client had been threatened over a drug debt run up by his brother and told to take the drugs into prison or else they would both be “getting it” adding: “He has an unenviable record there’s no doubt about that.” He had also struggled with drug addiction for a number of years."

Sheriff Neil Bowie jailed McArthur for six months.