Gang that tried to 'flood' Inverness with drugs is jailed

Six of the gang members, from top left, Donald Dunbar, Stephen Kelly, Karen Reynolds, Danielle Finlay, Kieran Adams and Sean Gordon

Two men who led a gang planning to "flood" Inverness with drugs have each been jailed for seven years and six months.

The cocaine, heroin and etizolam involved were worth a total of almost £650,000, the High Court in Glasgow heard.

The ringleaders were Kieran Adams, 28, from Clydebank and Stephen Kelly, 31, from Glasgow.

Four other members of the gang were also jailed.

Donald Dunbar, 61, Kenneth MacKenzie, 25, and Sean Gordon, 28, all from Glasgow, were each sentenced to three years.

Karen Reynolds, 51, from Glasgow, was jailed for a year.

'Wrecking lives'

A seventh member of the gang, Danielle Finlay, 30, from Hamilton, had her sentence deferred until December and she was granted bail.

They all admitted being involved in the supply of drugs between November 2018 and March this year.

The court heard the offences were connected with serious organised crime.

Sentencing the six, judge Lord Boyd said: "This was a sophisticated and organised criminal conspiracy and you all played a part."

The court had earlier heard the drugs were obtained in Glasgow and members of the gang were caught by police in Glasgow, Inverness, Stirling and Drumnadrochit.

Det Insp William Nimmo, of Police Scotland's Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit, said the sentencing had followed a "complex investigation".

He said: "Individuals such as Stephen Kelly and Kieran Adams operate using violence and intimidation, wrecking the lives of people addicted to controlled drugs and that of their families.

"Profiting from this behaviour is nothing short of despicable and people like this bring nothing but harm to our communities."