Multi-Million Pound Drug Factory Claims Not Proven

A man walked free from court today after being cleared of any involvement in a multi-million pound drug factory.

David Connelly was the tenant of a flat in Paisley Road West, Glasgow, where drugs and mixing agents with a potential street value of between £2 million and £4 million were found on October 25, 2013 during a police raid.

He told police that he had a key to the flat which housed two hydraulic presses, plastic bowls, blenders and large quantities of heroin and cocaine - including some of importation level purity - and mixing agents.

Mr Connelly said he had lost two further sets of keys to the Glasgow Housing Association property. He denied any knowledge of the drugs factory and claimed he had not set foot in the property for at least three months and a half months prior to the raid.

During the raid police smashed their way into the empty flat using a Ram-it and never checked to see if the key Connelly had still fitted the lock or if the locks had been changed.

Defence advocate Euan Dow said: "There is no evidence he was knowingly involved in the supply of these drugs. He says he lost keys and there were no personal items in the flat.

"The prosecution say that he had a key to the flat and must have known what was going on, but here is no evidence that the key he told police he had would have opened the lock on the flat door."

At the High Court in Glasgow The 37-year-old was cleared of being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine from the flat on October 25, 2013.

The jury found the charges against him not proven.

Judge Lord Matthews told Mr Connelly: "The jury had acquitted you you are free to go."

Lord Matthews then said to the jury: "The drugs which were found will be destroyed."