Man dealing drugs from East Kilbride Premier Inn avoids jail while accomplice caged

A drug dealer who admitted running a £10,000 cocaine dealing operation from a Premier Inn hotel in Lanarkshire has been jailed for 16 months.

Kyle McCulloch, 21, booked a room at the hotel in East Kilbride but staff became suspicious over the number of visitors. They went to investigate and discovered drug paraphernalia before calling in police in June last year.

A search revealed dozens of bags containing cocaine including some stashed inside a kettle. DNA evidence from the bags led officers to Yusef Khan, 22, and the pair were arrested.

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The class-A drugs found in the room were later estimated to have a street value of £10,000. McCulloch, of Eaglesham, and Khan, of Newton Mearns, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted supplying cocaine.

Khan was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work, tagged for six months and placed under supervision for 18 months.

Depute fiscal Aga Mathieson told the court: "On the day in question, Mr McCulloch was staying at the locus after he had checked into his room around 3.15pm. The hotel staff raised some concerns with how many people were coming and going from his hotel room.

"They were concerned that something was happening so they attended the room he was staying in and they observed drug paraphernalia. Thereafter police were called and police attended at 9pm and checked the room where they also observed drug paraphernalia.

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"They found a big bag which contained 189 snap bags and within the kettle they found another five bags and the white powder they contained later tested positive for cocaine. The wholesale value was £6,000 but could have raised £10,000."

The prosecutor added: "Mr Khan was linked to this by his fingerprints."

Ryan Sloan, defending Khan said: "He is well aware that this is a serious matter."

Sheriff John Hamilton KC said there was no alternative to prison for McCulloch.

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