A GALASHIELS mother has been jailed for three years after running a major heroin dealing operation in Galashiels.

But the Sheriff concluded that her supply chain was initially aimed at feeding her late son's addiction.

Former school cleaner Yvonne McConnell was convicted of supplying the class A drug from her Glendinning Terrace home between the summer of 2015 and last June.

A total of seven neighbours gave evidence during the trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

And a former addict also provided a statement against her.

McConnell was found guilty following a five-day trial last month.

Drugs worth around £15,000 were recovered from a nearby property belonging to McConnell's co-accused and step-father Douglas Arthur.

Arthur, who was sentenced to life in prison back in 1972 for murder, was also sentenced to three years in prison after being also found guilty by a jury.

This week McConnell was sentenced by Sheriff Frank Crowe. He said: "It was alleged that at your home in Glendinning Terrace, Galashiels you sold diamorphine to callers who attended your house, seven days a week, sometimes at all hours of the day.

“Drugs were found stored nearby at your co-accused's home in the same street which had a maximum street value in the region of £15,000 and other quantities of drugs and cutting agents were found in that house, suggestive of the fact that wholesale quantities of diamorphine were cut into smaller amounts to sell to users and during this operation the drug was bulked up with cutting agents to maximise profit.

“What was significant about this case was that seven of your neighbours gave evidence describing the brief time callers stayed at your house when visiting or the brief exchanges you had with them in your garden where you sat at a bench in the open.

“At various times of the day you were seen visiting Mr Arthur's house and returned a short time later with a bulging purse from which could be seen small plastic packages protruding of the type used to supply addicts with illicit drugs.

“Other evidence showed that a named person attended at your house by car several times a day to make collections."

McConnell's son Glenn Noble was also arrested at the time of the police raids last year.

But the former soldier died of a drugs overdose before going to trial.

Sheriff Crowe added: "You and Mr Arthur both incriminated your late son Glenn Noble, who was arrested at the same time in June of last year but sadly died earlier this year of drug problems; you have no such problems yourself.

"The jury also saw a video recording made by police of their interview of the late Glenn Noble at the time of his arrest.

"He was clearly under the influence of substances and seemed so addicted by them he tried to snatch and consume drugs shown to him by police which they had recovered from him when your home was searched.

“It appeared that Glenn had been suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after tours in Afghanistan and after leaving the army a drink problem soon turned to a drug problem.

"Given the state Mr Noble was in when interviewed by police he appeared incapable of operating a drug supply operation as it seemed likely he would consume most of the product."

Sheriff Crowe concluded that the heroin operation had been set up by McConnell to help feed her late son's addiction.

He added: "The cost of these drugs quickly exceeds the income the addict has and resort has to be made to theft, dealing, holding drugs for others or running up drug debts.

"Your circumstances revealed no sign of wealth consistent with the evidence of trafficking given by your neighbours and the quantity of drugs recovered at Mr Arthur's ‘safe house’.

"Surely no one would take the risks you did to sell openly illegal drugs from their home at no benefit to themselves?

"The obvious answer if that you became involved in dealing diamorphine and accounting for the money received to a third party would help your son and ensure he had a regular supply.

"In any event, the evidence revealed that you played the most prominent role in the drugs supply operation in Glendinning Terrace by keeping your house supplied with sufficient drugs for a steady stream of customers, but holding limited quantities in your home at any one time should your house be searched by the police.

"Your activities had a significantly detrimental effect upon the community in which you lived over a two-year period, such as to cause a number of your neighbours to provide separate but compelling testimonies as to your activities.

“A prison sentence is always likely at this level of criminal conduct and in your case I can see no alternative even as a first offender. You will be sentenced to three years’ imprisonment from today.”