A vigilante mother bundled a suspected drug dealer into a van before strapping him to a chair and leaving him bound and gagged with duct tape.
Linda Gowers took direct action against Michael Graham over fears he was part of a county lines drug gang targeting children in Kirriemuir.
Gowers, 40, from Kirriemuir, told police she planned to slit Mr Graham’s throat before setting him on fire as part of a “citizen’s arrest.”
Dundee Sheriff Court was told there was clear evidence Mr Graham had been dealing drugs but he had escaped prosecution because of delays in his case.
Dragged into van
The court was told Mr Graham was seen sitting at a bus stop with other males shortly after 7.30pm on July 27 2020.
Police noticed him because of his distinctive blue hair.
A van pulled up 45 minutes later and Gowers and an unknown man got out.
A fiscal told the court: “The accused and the male grabbed him by the arms and dragged him into the van.
“He was thrown into the van via a side door and the accused got into the front.
“He was taken to her address in Westfield, Kirriemuir.
“He was forced from the van and told to get in the house and sit down on a black leather dining chair.
“She then began to bind him using the duct tape, to cover his head, face and arms.
“She accused him of selling drugs to a child, which he denied.”
‘I’m going to kill him’
A few minutes later Gowers called police and told officers: “Can you get to my address please, quickly before I kill him? I’m going to kill him.”
She gave police her name and address and when asked who she was holding hostage, she said: “I know his name is Michael and he’s up here from Newcastle and selling f***ing LSD and drugs to kids, little bairns.”
The fiscal depute said: “During this call a male could be heard shouting for help in the background and he was in obvious distress.
“The line was dropped.”
When police turned up, Gowers was in her garden to meet them and they went inside to find Mr Graham still bound and gagged and taped to a chair.
“He had black duct tape around his upper body, shoulders, mouth and head, including over his eyes.
“He was completely immobilised and unable to speak.”
‘I was cleaning the streets up’
Officers cut Mr Graham free and he immediately became angry and said he would “get” Gowers, before he tried to escape from the property.
Gowers told police: “If you had been doing your jobs I wouldn’t have had to do this.
“You’re lucky you got here when you did or he’d be dead.
“I was going to slit his throat. I was going to set him on fire.
“It should have been you picking him up off the street – not left to me to go and get him.
“I was doing your job for you. I was cleaning the streets up.
“This p***k sold acid to a child then came back up from England to sell more drugs to children.
“It wasn’t abduction, it was a citizen’s arrest.”
She later admitted abducting Mr Graham in Kirriemuir.
‘Drug dealer’ walked free
Solicitor Brian Bell, defending, told the court: “I understand a police report was submitted regarding the complainer but it was time-barred.
“Effectively, the complainer in this case – despite there being clear evidence of him being involved in the distribution of drugs – for whatever reason, he walks free.”
Sentence on Gowers was deferred for the preparation of background reports and bail was continued.
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