Woman found guilty of possessing drugs
Shetland Times
A 47-year-old woman has been fined £520 for the possession of cocaine.
Laureen Johnston, of Upper Sound, Lerwick, had denied two charges of possessing of controlled drugs when she went on trial at Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday (Thursday), but was found guilty by the Sheriff.
Lerwick Sheriff Court heard that Johnston had been stopped twice in her car by officers in a matter of days due to intelligence they had received about her activities.
When first stopped in Lerwick on 11th November 2023 officers found a silver container which, after inspection, concealed five wraps of cocaine worth more than £400.
The court heard how Johnston had told police at the time “It wasn’t mine”.
During questioning on the stand, Johnston said: “Someone had left it in the car.”
She said a passenger had noticed the container rolling about on the car floor and passed it to her. It was then placed in the driver’s side door pocket, she said.
Johnston also told the court that the container could have belonged to a “friend of a friend” who she had taken to hospital. The passenger had a hold-all with him at the time, she said.
She said she was unaware what was in the container until she was at the police station.
Nine days later she was stopped again.
This time, two tablets of Bromazolam – a Class C sedative – were found in her car’s central console.
Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie told the court that police officers found them rather easily and they were in plain view.
However, Johnston said she was had been unaware of their existence.
Johnston told Mr MacKenzie that she had reason to believe someone was out to get her.
When asked to explain, Johnston told the court that a police officer had asked who she had “upset this time” when she was placed under arrest.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank reviewed the evidence and the testimony. He said it was agreed by all parties that Johnstone was driving the car when it was stopped by police.
While he heard evidence from Johnston claiming that a third party could perhaps have been trying to get her, the sheriff said the evidence proved that she was guilty for possession of both drugs.
Johnston was ordered to pay a £500 fine plus a £20 victim surcharge for the possession of cocaine. She was admonished for possessing Bromazolam.
