Latest news with #COPFS
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Drugs mule caught with £1m cannabis haul 'stuffed in suitcases' at Cairnryan port
Chace Cappellie tried to traffick the class B drug via his vehicle from a Stena Line ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan. A drugs mule was snared with over £1m worth of cannabis stuffed in suitcases, after a routine search of his car by two Scottish port security officers. Chace Cappellie, 33, was found with a huge stash of the class B drug in his vehicle at Cairnryan in Dumfries and Galloway. He had been attempting to ship the haul from Northern Ireland into Scotland via a Stena Line ferry. But his operation was unravelled by two port security officers who were working in connection with the Border Force, after they conducted a routine check. During the search, the officers found a single suitcase containing the drugs. After the discovery, a more thorough search was conducted. This lead to the discovery of five more suitcases, containing 92 vacuum-sealed plastic bags, which gave off a strong smell of cannabis. A further 110 bags were then found hidden within the other bags, containing a massive 108kg worth of cannabis. The total value of the seized drugs was estimated to have a street value of up to £1,085,160. Cappellie, of Halesowen in the West Midlands, was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow after he admitted to being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug. He was jailed for three years and two months on Friday. Moira Orr, who leads on major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'This individual failed in his attempt to bring significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs through Scotland. 'Chace Cappellie has now been held accountable thanks to an extensive Border Force operation, working with COPFS, to disrupt a network of drug supply. 'These drugs would have inflicted serious harm on communities, but with each case of this kind we are reducing that risk. 'We are targeting all people who threaten communities across Scotland, not only drug couriers but also those who direct their movements.' It comes after another Scottish drugs trafficker who flooded the UK with millions of pounds worth of heroin was ordered to pay back just £42,000 earlier this week. Christopher Heaney, from Anstruther in Fife, was jailed for nine years in February 2024 after profiting £120,000 from the £7m cross-border heroin conspiracy. The 48-year-old, alongside four others, were busted by cops following the arrest of a bent police officer in May 2022. Steven Creasey, an ex-police officer who had also worked for the Royal Navy, was stopped while driving his vehicle to Fife having already travelled from his home in Cardiff to Liverpool the same day. A drugs dog sniffed out a professionally installed hide under the passenger seat of his car, which was found to contain a 5kg stash of heroin and one kilogram of adulterant. A burner phone also found in his possession revealed that the former cop had been operating as a professional drugs courier engaged by the heads of a gang based in Liverpool. Their drugs were then distributed for onward supply across the UK by Heaney and three others. A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing was held at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday. It heard how despite profiting around tens of thousands of pounds as part of the operation, Heaney was ordered to pay back a fraction of £42,000 Judge Lucy Crowther ordered him to pay the sum within three months. If he fails to do so, he will face an additional 18 months in jail.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Drugs mule caught with £1m cannabis haul during routine search at Cairnryan port
Chace Cappellie tried to traffick the class B drug via his vehicle from a Stena Line ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan. A drugs mule was snared with over £1m worth of cannabis after a routine search of his car by two Scottish port security officers. Chace Cappellie, 33, was found with a huge stash of the class B drug in his vehicle at Cairnryan in Dumfries and Galloway. He had been attempting to ship the haul from Northern Ireland into Scotland via a Stena Line ferry. But his operation was unravelled by two port security officers who were working in connection with the Border Force, after they conducted a routine check. During the search, the officers found a single suitcase containing the drugs. After the discovery, a more thorough search was conducted. This lead to the discovery of five more suitcases, containing 92 vacuum-sealed plastic bags, which gave off a strong smell of cannabis. A further 110 bags were then found hidden within the other bags, containing a massive 108kg worth of cannabis. The total value of the seized drugs was estimated to have a street value of up to £1,085,160. Cappellie, of Halesowen in the West Midlands, was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow after he admitted to being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug. He was jailed for three years and two months on Friday. Moira Orr, who leads on major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'This individual failed in his attempt to bring significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs through Scotland. 'Chace Cappellie has now been held accountable thanks to an extensive Border Force operation, working with COPFS, to disrupt a network of drug supply. 'These drugs would have inflicted serious harm on communities, but with each case of this kind we are reducing that risk. 'We are targeting all people who threaten communities across Scotland, not only drug couriers but also those who direct their movements.' It comes after another Scottish drugs trafficker who flooded the UK with millions of pounds worth of heroin was ordered to pay back just £42,000 earlier this week. Christopher Heaney, from Anstruther in Fife, was jailed for nine years in February 2024 after profiting £120,000 from the £7m cross-border heroin conspiracy. The 48-year-old, alongside four others, were busted by cops following the arrest of a bent police officer in May 2022. Steven Creasey, an ex-police officer who had also worked for the Royal Navy, was stopped while driving his vehicle to Fife having already travelled from his home in Cardiff to Liverpool the same day. A drugs dog sniffed out a professionally installed hide under the passenger seat of his car, which was found to contain a 5kg stash of heroin and one kilogram of adulterant. A burner phone also found in his possession revealed that the former cop had been operating as a professional drugs courier engaged by the heads of a gang based in Liverpool. Their drugs were then distributed for onward supply across the UK by Heaney and three others. It heard how despite profiting around tens of thousands of pounds as part of the operation, Heaney was ordered to pay back a fraction of £42,000 Judge Lucy Crowther ordered him to pay the sum within three months.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Man baited birds of prey with poisoned pheasants in shooting rights row
A man baited birds of prey with pheasants coated in rat poison amid a feud with a neighbouring landowner over shooting rights. A court heard Clive Burgoyne, 38, gutted four pheasant carcasses and filled them with rat poison in an attempt to damage the reputation of the Guynd estate near Arbroath, Angus. At Forfar sheriff court in April 2025, Burgoyne pleaded guilty to a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023. The court heard he left four pheasant carcasses coated in rodenticide which would cause haemorrhaging in birds of prey. On Thursday, at the same court, he was given a community order and 135 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Prosecutors said he put birds of prey 'at risk of injury or death' using a known rat poison which can kill them in a single feed. Witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate on the morning of Feb 3, 2023. A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath, COPFS said. The breast had been removed and the bird was covered in a quantity of grain and seed which was then coated in a bright blue liquid. A further search of the area revealed three more dead pheasants nearby which had been similarly cut open and treated, according to COPFS. Blue grain was a known rodenticide Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was a known rodenticide. They believed the pheasant carcasses had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds. A sample of Burgoyne's DNA was found on all four of the dead birds. Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime at COPFS, said: 'It is highly important to preserve Scotland's natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it. 'As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law. 'Clive Burgoyne's reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death. 'COPFS takes offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act seriously and will prosecute individuals where there is sufficient evidence of a crime. 'This case is a testament to the collaborative working between COPFS, Police Scotland, and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence,' he added.
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Scotsman
3 days ago
- Scotsman
Four men jailed over ‘egregious' NHS bribery and corruption offences
Judge condemns corruption 'on a grand scale' at end of 65-day trial Sign up to the daily Crime UK newsletter. All the latest crime news and trials from across the UK. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Four men convicted of bribery and corrupt practices over the awarding of NHS contracts worth £6 million have been jailed. Alan Hush, 68, Adam Sharoudi, 41, Gavin Brown, 48, and Gavin Cox, 60, were convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow which followed an investigation at health boards across Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The offences, which took place between 2010 and 2017, included bribery, corruption, and other offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Hush and Sharoudi were additionally convicted of charges of fraud. Sharoudi and Brown, directors of Ayrshire-based telecommunications firm Oricom Ltd, were jailed for eight years and seven years respectively when they were sentenced at the court on Thursday, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Hush, who was telecommunications manager at NHS Lothian, was sentenced to eight years in jail, while Cox, who was head of IT and infrastructure at NHS Lanarkshire, was jailed for six years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a sentencing statement later published online, Lord Arthurson said: 'The public are entitled to expect that their fellow citizens will not seek to subvert public officials in the diligent exercise of their duties, and public officials in their turn should know that succumbing to bribery will result in the handing down by the court of immediate and significant custodial terms. 'The reach and character of the corruption and in particular the corrupt relationships engaged in by all of you, when considered as a whole, was on a grand scale.' The trial at the High Court in Glasgow lasted 65 days. 'A betrayal of public trust' Sineidin Corrins, deputy procurator fiscal for specialist casework at COPFS, said: 'This is an outstanding result for justice in Scotland. 'As prosecutors, we have shown an unwavering commitment to pursuing and investigating this matter. This was a betrayal of public trust. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'These four men colluded to create a sophisticated criminal scheme. The public will rightly be shocked by the scale of their criminality. 'The scale of this offending against our public health service is particularly egregious. 'The systematic abuse of position by public officials, who accepted inappropriate benefits including cash, holidays and entertainment in exchange for contract advantages, strikes at the heart of public trust. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It serves as a reminder that procurement processes exist to ensure fair competition and value for public money. When these processes are corrupted, all of society bears the cost. 'The prosecutorial journey has been complex and demanding. It required forensic examination of thousands of documents, hundreds of witness statements, and detailed financial analyses to establish the full extent of this criminal activity. 'The digital evidence, particularly text messages and emails exchanged between the accused, proved pivotal in exposing the true nature of these arrangements. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'This was a meticulous investigation and one which reflects the enduring partnership working between specialist Crown Office prosecutors, NHS Counter Fraud Services and Police Scotland, who worked tirelessly over many years. 'Their unflinching dedication to serving the interests of justice, regardless of complexity or duration, deserves recognition.' The four men will now be subject to confiscation action under proceeds of crime legislation to recover monies illegally obtained. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Brown and Sharoudi were also banned from being company directors for 10 years. Gordon Young, head of NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services at NHS National Services Scotland, said: 'This is a landmark conviction for fraud, bribery and corruption of individuals who sought to exploit the NHS for personal gain. 'This successful prosecution reaffirms NHS Scotland's commitment to safeguarding vital funds for patient care as intended by the taxpayer.
Powys County Times
3 days ago
- Powys County Times
Man who baited birds of prey with rat poison in landowner feud sentenced
A man who baited birds of prey with pheasants coated in rat poison has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work. Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar in Angus, left four pheasant carcasses gutted and filled with rat poison as part of an ongoing feud with a neighbouring landowner over shooting rights. He hoped his actions would cause reputational damage to the Guynd estate near Arbroath, Angus, according to prosecutors. At Forfar Sheriff Court on April 22, Burgoyne pleaded guilty to a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023. The court heard he left four pheasant carcasses coated in rodenticide which would cause haemorrhaging, in a bid to harm birds of prey. On Thursday at the same court, he was given a community payback order and 135 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Prosecutors said he put birds of prey 'at risk of injury or death' using a known rat poison which can kill a bird of prey in a single feed. Prosecutors told how witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate on the morning of February 3, 2023. A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath within the estate, COPFS said. The breast had been removed and the bird was covered in a quantity of grain and seed which was then coated in a bright blue liquid. A further search of the area revealed three more dead pheasants nearby which had been similarly cut open and treated, according to COPFS. Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was a known rodenticide formulation. They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcasses suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds. After being arrested, a sample of Burgoyne's DNA was found on all four of the dead birds. Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime at COPFS, said: 'It is highly important to preserve Scotland's natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it. 'As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law. 'Clive Burgoyne's reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death. 'COPFS takes offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act seriously and will prosecute individuals where there is sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is in the public interest to do so. 'The result in this case is a testament to the collaborative working between COPFS, Police Scotland, and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.'
