A solicitor who was jailed for possession of a massive amount of cannabis has been struck off.

Gerard Nesbitt, a 54-year-old employment lawyer, had his Glasgow flat raided by police in May 2012. When the matter came to trial last year he claimed that he had given the keys to the flat to a homeless man. Whom he didn't know. As a "favour". And the 31kg of weed that the police discovered must have been placed there by him. The jury decided that this was slightly unlikely. And that £150,000 of weed was probably rather more than could be justified for personal use. So Nesbitt now finds himself doing three and a half years bend and stretch at HMP Castle Huntley near Dundee.

    Gerard Nesbitt relaxing at home. An artist's impression.

Last week the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal struck him off and ruled that he should never be allowed to practise again. The tribunal noted that Newsbitt had a previous conviction for drugs offences dating back to the eighties, and that "members of the public must have a well founded confidence that any solicitor whom they instruct will be a person of unquestionable integrity, probity and trustworthiness".

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Comments

Anonymous 11 August 14 21:30

I don't see how possessing thirty-one kilograms of cannabis prevents one from being honest and/or trustworthy. What nonsense...

Anonymous 12 August 14 14:34

Re: anonymous 20:30

Yes, but what about probity?

31 kilograms is noted in the article as being more than could be justified for personal use; if he was of a good moral standing he would have shared it out a bit.

Anonymous 03 September 15 21:54

"I gave the keys to a homeless man as a favour" In the words of Danny from Withnail and I (pictured) "Very, very foolish words, mate..."