Thousands of pounds worth of cannabis-laced “Dairy Milk” bars were recovered by police from a locked shipping container in a Fife business park.
The 400 fake brand sweets, which were infused with THC and had a cartoon cannabis leaf on their logo, were amongst a wider £21,500 stockpile of drugs found at the Dalgety Bay lock-up.
Jonathan Haughian went on trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court, accused of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, cocaine, Etizolam and THC – the psychoactive compound in marijuana.
The drugs were found at the town’s business centre, where the cargo box was stored, and other locations in Dunfermline between April 2019 and May 2020.
The 30-year-old denied all four charges.
His lawyer submitted a special defence of incrimination, naming Haughian’s father Joseph, who rented the lock-up.
However, jurors found him guilty after four days of evidence.
Sheriff Charles Macnair deferred sentence until the new year.
He told Haughian: “Given your limited criminal record, I am just persuade to allow you to remain on bail.
“It will give you an opportunity to put your affairs in order, because there is a strong possibility of you receiving a custodial sentence.”
Raid on ex-girlfriend’s home
Days after the shipping container was opened, investigators swooped on the home of Haughian’s ex-partner Claire Mullen, in Clyde Crescent.
They found traces of drugs and three THC-tinged wrappers of the “Dairy Milk” bars in a back garden bin.
Officers also recovered a handwritten “tick list” of names and weights and a set of scales – the exact same model as one found inside the shipping container.
Wads of cash – including £155 in the hallway and £1,360 in the bedroom – were sezied.
During closing speeches on Friday, depute fiscal Jamie Hilland told jurors the drugs were linked because they were found together inside the cargo box.
“The cannabis edibles were found in the same half of the container as a bag of white powder,” he said.
“The accused’s DNA was found on the knot of this bag.”
Mr Hilland said it was “neither here nor there” that Haughian’s dad had been renting the lock-up.
“There is a lot of evidence that links the accused to the container and to the drugs.”
Defence agent Alistair Burleigh argued there was no forensic evidence to show his client had even been in the storage box.
“There was DNA found on the knotted bag, but this was a moveable item.
“We cannot link Mr Haughian to what was found in the container.
“That would be something under the control of the occupier – and who was the occupier? Joseph Haughian.”
‘Dairy Milk’ edibles
Detective Sergeant Kevin Plank told jurors he estimated the value of the cannabis-infused chocolate bars to be £8,060.
He said it could be more like £12,000 if they sold for £30 rather than £20 each.
A bag containing 1.7kg of cannabis was also found inside the shipping container, which he said would fetch between £12,200 and £19,480 depending on how it was sold.
About 1,030 class C Etizolam tablets were also found inside it.
DS Plank gave an overall lower estimate of £21,500 for drugs found in the shipping container.
He told jurors: “That’s with a lower estimate for the cannabis, so it could be more.
“It would more than likely be more”
Evidence agreed between prosecution and defence said the chocolate bars contained a quantity of brown substance with the “odour and appearance of chocolate”.
DS Plank described them as a “typical homemade product” and said the USA is “well ahead in relation to cannabis edible products.”
He said people can buy pre-made bags over the internet and put a homemade product in them and try to make it look as “legitimate-looking” as possible.
Haughian’s evidence
Haughian, formerly of Lochgelly but now of Drumnadrochit in the Highlands, told the trial he had never been at the shipping container but knew his father had it.
When asked by Mr Burleigh if he was someone who has taken drugs, Haughian claimed to have “smoked a joint” a number of years ago but he “never touched any hard drugs or anything like that”.
He claimed he had no knowledge of the drugs seized by police from the container.
Haughian, a former labourer at Rosyth docks and nightclub bouncer in Dunfermline, was also questioned by Mr Hilland on evidence from another witness who said he had been sold drugs by someone called ‘Johnny’ driving a red Audi in Clyde Crescent.
He initially said he did not have access to this vehicle but then said his first car was a red car, which may have been an Audi.
He claimed it seemed like the witness was deliberately trying to get him into trouble and they had not recognised him while stood a metre away in the court’s reception.
