TWO 19-year-old former pupils of a leading public school yesterday
were fined for possessing cannabis but cleared of dealing in the drug.
John Aitken, of Castlebrae Lodge, Huntingtower, Perth, and Alan Milne,
of Drummond Road, Inverness, both admitted being found in unlawful
possession of cannabis resin at Strathallan School, Perthshire, on
November 13, 1993.
Aitken, now receiving income support of #36 a week, was fined #120 at
Perth Sheriff Court. Milne, also unemployed but not yet in receipt of
benefit, was fined #100.
The pair also were accused of being concerned in the supply of
cannabis at the school. But all charges relating to alleged supply were
dropped when the Crown accepted their pleas of not guilty to these
counts.
This late development, which followed pre-trial negotiations between
defence and Crown, meant that 11 witnesses who had turned up for the
case were not called to give evidence.
Depute fiscal Ann Orr said that police were called to Strathallan
after staff had learned that cannabis had been brought into the school.
It was then established that the two accused possessed the drug, the
total amount involved being worth about #40.
Defence lawyer David Holmes said that Aitken was a former pupil who
committed the offence while revisiting the school.
He was embarrassed and ashamed at behaviour which had caused a great
deal of concern to his family.
Mr John McLaughlin, representing Milne, said that his client was a
pupil at the time of the offence and was expelled as a result.
The lawyer added: ''The effect on my client's family, his parents in
particular, was quite devastating and this had a salutary effect on him.
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