Stenhousemuir roofer caught on motorway with £15,000 worth of cocaine

A self-employed scaffolder claimed he returned to crime after the death of his cousin and was transporting £15,000 of cocaine to pay off debts.

Thomas Clarkson (42), also known as Sneddon, was caught with the stash of class A drug on the M9 near Grangemouth after he had been on the straight and narrow for nine years following a prison sentence.

Clarkson, 65 Hillary Road, Stenhousemuir, who had a previous conviction for a similar offence in 2008, appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of drugs on March 30, 2017.

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Neil Hay, defence solicitor, said: “He had many years without any convictions on any drug matters at all until 2017. When he was in prison he was visited by his seven-year-old daughter. She was very distressed and that taught him a lesson.

“Then his cousin had died in his home – he was choking and he tried to save him. He had not been taking drugs at all and had been fit, engaging in martial arts, but as a result of his cousin’s death he tried drugs again and found himself in £6000 debt.”

Mr Hay said the transportation of the package of drugs was supposed to conclude Clarkson’s debt.

The court heard the father-of-two had used hypnotism to try and beat his cocaine addiction.

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Sheriff Craig Caldwell said: “You knew it was very likely you would receive a significant custodial sentence and there is nothing in the report which persuades me this is not appropriate.

“Being involved in the supply of drugs is extremely serious and you had a very significant amount of drugs – between £14,000 and £15,000 in total.”

Sheriff Caldwell sentenced Clarkson to three years and six months in prison.