Drug dealers snared selling street valium in Hamilton to undercover cops avoid jail

Two drug dealers who were snared selling street valium to police officers during an undercover sting have dodged jail.

Ann Marie Murdoch, 46, and Kieran Nicol, 32, were caught as part of an operation in Hamilton, Lanarkshire.
They dealt the class-C drug unaware their customers were actually working undercover.

Murdoch made two transactions worth £50 before her house was raided and officers discovered 3,000 etizolam tablets, known as street valium, worth £2,400.

Nicol met up with police and exchanged drugs in deals worth £100 before his home was also searched and three bags of tablets worth £800 were found.

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The pair appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs between July and September 2022.

Sheriff John Speir put Murdoch under supervision for a year and tagged her for six months.

Nicol was ordered to perform 90 hours of unpaid work, be tagged for three months and put under supervision for nine months.

Depute fiscal Scott O'Connor told the court how police targeted Murdoch.

He said: "Police conducted an undercover operation in the Burnbank area of Hamilton and were given information that Ann Marie Murdoch was concerned in the supply of etizolam.

"Undercover officers attended and purchased one bag of etizolam from her and then again returned and purchased another bag."

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Laura Kiernan, defending Murdoch, said: "She now has more of a handle on her addiction issues than she did at the time of this offence which she is sorry for."

Judith Hutchison, defending Nicol, said: "There seems to have been a downward spiral for him once he became involved in drugs and he accepts there were negative influences in his life at the time of this offence."

The court had earlier heard the intelligence-led investigation saw a property belonging to Scott Kerr, 24, raided where officers discovered cocaine valued at £2,850.

Sheriff Speir handed him an 18 month jail term which will be consecutive to another sentence he is currently serving at HMP Perth.

Dale Radigan, 32, spoke with undercover officers about drugs before he revealed he was carrying a knife and told them 'not to worry' if trouble started.

He was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and will be under supervision for the next year.