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T in the Park drugs offenders facing ruined careers

Kris Miller, Courier, 08/07/11. T in the Park, Friday.
Pic shows crowd scene.
Kris Miller, Courier, 08/07/11. T in the Park, Friday. Pic shows crowd scene.

Music fans risk destroying their lives by dabbling with drugs when attending festivals, a sheriff has warned.

Speaking from the bench at Perth Sheriff Court on Tuesday, Eric Brown told a string of accused that their employment, relationships and futures were all jeopardised by becoming involved with illegal substances.

A large number of festival-goers pass through the court each year in the months following the hugely popular T in the Park.

Many of those who appear have no previous convictions or have never appeared in court to face a charge relating to drugs, but year on year do so having been found in possession of cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines worth anything from hundreds of pounds to no more than a nominal value.

At Perth, the most recent offenders included two men with no previous involvement with the courts, but who both faced losing good jobs as a result of their one-off involvement with class A substances.

Graphic designer Fraser Docherty was fined £333 after he admitted being in possession of 1.1 grammes of cocaine at T in the Park on July 9.

An identical fine was handed down to Colin Wilkie, who works with the European banking and financial group BNP Paribas, after he admitted being found with six ecstasy tablets worth just £30 on the same day.

Sheriff Brown told both men they had jeopardised their futures by naively thinking they could dabble with drugs at the event without any thought as to what it could mean for them.

”The issues surrounding drug use are well known,” he said. ”However, becoming involved in drugs can have dreadful consequences for people often far beyond what they anticipate.”

He told Wilkie: ”Both you and the gentleman before you (Docherty) have pled guilty to being in possession of a class A drug, which is a serious matter.

”Mr Docherty has been told he will lose his job as a result of his conviction. It remains to be seen whether you can retain your employment.”

The court heard that Docherty (34), of Old Liston Road, Newbridge, Midlothian, had been working with his firm for a number of years but would lose his employment as a result of his conviction.

Solicitor Jennifer Cameron said her client had been attending the event with friends and had accepted the offer of cocaine from a stranger in one of the festival’s tents, only to be apprehended by police moments later.

”This is not something that he is usually involved in,” the agent said, adding that her client had been heavily under the influence of alcohol at the time of his indiscretion.

She said: ”There have been significant problems arising from this, both with regards his career and his home life.

”He has been earning £1700 a month as a graphic designer, but anticipates that in the current jobs market he will find it difficult to find new employment and this may cause him significant difficulties. He may have to consider signing on for benefits.”

Wilkie (28) followed Docherty into the dock to admit purchasing ecstasy on a bus as he travelled to the festival, paying £15 for the tablets.

The accused, of Findochty Place, Glasgow, was found in possession of the drugs as he waited to enter the Balado site.

”There is the possibility that he could lose his job,” said his solicitor Nigel Scullion. ”He is in talks with his employers and despite this conviction retains some hope that his employment can be saved.”

Each year T in the Park bosses and Tayside Police stress that drugs will not be tolerated at the event and they work closely with site security and other agencies to enforce that policy.

A festival spokesman said: ”Drugs are illegal at T in the Park the same as anywhere else, therefore the same risks and penalties apply.

”The event has a zero tolerance policy towards illegal drugs. Tayside Police do a brilliant job year on year in terms of policing T in the Park.”