A Kirriemuir woman who abducted and gagged a suspected drug dealer told a court she was “morally” justified in doing so.
Linda Gowers, 40, grabbed suspected county lines pusher Michael Graham from the street, believing he had organised for drugs to be sent to a young child, leaving her very unwell.
She avoided a jail sentence for her “citizen’s arrest” as a sheriff said it was “regrettable” she found herself in the the dock.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard she took Graham to a house in the town, bound him in black tape and called police, threatening to kill him if they did not arrive soon.
Gowers told police she planned to slit Graham’s throat before setting him on fire — language described as “silly” by solicitor Brian Bell, in mitigation on Thursday.
The court was told there was clear evidence Graham had been dealing drugs but he had escaped prosecution because of delays in his case.
Mr Bell said Gowers found out Graham had sent drugs to the girl after they met, by chance, in a shop in Dundee and exchanged details.
He said she intercepted an envelope soaked in illicit substance, which had then dried – a technique used to smuggle drugs into prisons.
The girl later became unwell and Gowers acted to rid the town of the suspected dealer.
Police call
He was picked off the street at a bus stop shortly after 7.30pm on July 27 2020 by Gowers and an unknown man.
Mr Bell said: “He was put in a van and taken to her home address.
“She did phone police and said ‘I have a drug dealer here, you better get here soon’.
“Police called her back 15 minutes later to confirm her address, which she did.
“She did say she would kill him. It was a silly thing to say.
“The complainer was found, bound, inside her house.
“She stepped outside with a male officer, while a female officer untied the complainer – who then struggled with the police.
“She told police he was a drug dealer up from England.
“It appears the complainer was then put on a train home, after he filed a complaint against Gowers.”
Mr Bell said: “She feels morally justified with what she did.
“She understands it was not legally justified.
“She did tell police it was a ‘citizens arrest’.
Graham was charged on summary complaint but because of issues surrounding the time it took, he was not prosecuted, the court was told.
‘Regrettable outcome’
Sheriff Alistair Carmichael sentenced Gowers to 18 months supervision, as a direct alternative to custody.
He said: “This course of events, which you feel were morally justified if not legally, led to the regrettable outcome that you are in the dock.
“This was a serious crime.
“I have listened to what was said in mitigation and the reports and I have a full picture of what happened.
“Your actions were not legally justified.
“It is a matter which is in the custodial zone but I can deal with this in a non-custodial way.”
‘Citizen’s arrest’
When Gowers pled guilty to abduction in March, the court heard how she and an accomplice bundled Graham into the side door of a van and drove him to Westfield, Kirriemuir.
When police arrived – after she called them herself – he was still bound and gagged.
A prosecutor told the court: “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.”
Officers cut him 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.”
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