Uddingston dad caught with cannabis worth £18k is jailed

Anthony McAteer claimed the drugs had been removed from his son Michael’s flat in Pandora Way, Tannochside, in a bid to keep him out of trouble.

McAteer (53) and his wife, Isobel(52), of Powburn Crescent, Uddingston, were found guilty at Hamilton Sheriff Court of being concerned in the supply of the drug.

Construction company boss McAteer said his 27-year-old son had turned into a zombie through cannabis addiction.

The court heard McAteer senior and his wife were arrested in July 2012 when he moved the drugs from Michael’s flat to their garage.

McAteer told the jury: “I put it in the back of my van. I didn’t even think what would happen if someone saw me, but I wanted it away from him. I would have put it out for compost.

“I had no idea about the value of the cannabis in those bags. My wife knew nothing about it.”

Defence agent Stephen MacBride urged Sheriff Thomas Millar not to jail his client who, he said, was a hard-working family man with no significant record.

Mr MacBride said McAteer senior had tried to keep his son’s drug troubles ‘in house’ which was why he took the cannabis to his own home.

The solicitor added: “He had a blinkered approach to the matter and it’s only since the guilty verdict that he’s realised how foolish he was.

“However, I would ask the court to to give him what on any view would be a last chance and impose a community-based sentence.”

Sheriff Millar told Isobel McAteer, represented by Elspeth Forrest, he was prepared to put her under supervision for one year.

But he told her husband: “The quantity of cannabis in your garage was substantial as was the value.

“I’m afraid I can’t deal with this other than by a custodial sentence.”

Earlier Michael McAteer said he had agreed to keep the drugs to pay off debts to dealers. He was fined £675 after being caught with cannabis worth £900 during the same police operation.