‘Tragic case’ heroin courier lands jail term

Nov 13 2008 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

A HAMILTON drugs courier caught red-handed with £100,000-worth of heroin was yesterday (Wednesday) jailed for three years and four months.

David Breen was snared in June this year on the A74 Glasgow to Carlisle road near to Greenhillstairs overbridge.

The 31-year-old had agreed to transport the drug after dealers told him £500 would be wiped from a debt he owed.

Breen, of Hill Street, Burnbank, admitted last month to being concerned in the supply of heroin.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Lord McEwan said a social enquiry background report carried out on Breen prior to sentence was one of the most "depressing and unhappy" he had read.

Lord McEwan said he had reduced the jail term from five years due to Breen’s guilty plea.

Breen was stopped on June 17 this year and told police: “There's a package underneath the front passenger seat.”

The court was told he was a drug user who was deeply in debt to dealers.

Breen had been told that £500 would be wiped from his debt if he agreed to take a parcel of drugs from England to Scotland.

Alistair Carmichael, prosecuting, said: "The accused told the police he knew he was collecting controlled drugs. He suspected it would be either heroin or cocaine.

"He travelled to services on the M6 where he collected the package.

"He told police he was not involved in the day-to-day selling of drugs and said: ‘I was only transporting it’".

Tony Graham, defending, said Breen's life, “a tale of chaos", had gone in a downward spiral from the age of 10.

Judge Lord McEwan told Breen: “No doubt you were under the influence of other people who were behind this.

"I have also rarely read such a depressing and unhappy social enquiry report, although much of what is said is not your fault."