mum of two jailed after being caught with cannabis in car
galloway gazette friday december 14th 2001

a mother of two has been sentanced to four months imprisonment after being caught in possession of cannabis resin.
laura mclean aged 29 of 31 parklea gardens, stranraer, appeared before stranraer sheriff court on monday after being found in possession of two pieces of cannabis resin worth £55.
she was stopped by police while travelling on the a77 near the a751 junction whilst on her way to visit her husbend in prison.
mclean told police the cannabis was for her husband. in her defence it was staed that she had not been in trouble in the past and she had two children,aged eight and 12, to look after.sheriff james smith then asked whether, should the worst happen, there was someone at home to look after the children.
he was told that john mclean was now out of prison and able to care for the two.
sheriff smith said: "it gives me no pleasure to see you in the dilemma you are in today.
"you are an intelligent woman and you knew exactly what you were getting into."
there were audible gasps of disappointment from the public benches as sheriff smith sentanced mclean to four months imprisonment.

as a suggestion, maybe the next smokey bears picnic, legalise cannabis campaign demonstration etc. could be held on sheriff james smiths front garden?

letters of complaint about this case will be gratefully received by: sheriff james smith, stranraer sheriff court, stranraer, dumfries and galloway, dg9