A man has avoided prison after being found with £14,000 worth of drugs and a lamb named Pablo, who was reportedly eating chips, in a car in Scotland.
John McNeil, 56, was a passenger in a Volkswagen Golf driven by Lindsey Sangster when police stopped the vehicle on the M74 near Glasgow on April 22, 2023. Heroin and cocaine were discovered by a police dog concealed beneath the front passenger seat.
When questioned about the lamb in the back seat, McNeil told an officer that Sangster was a 'trainee shepherdess.' He claimed to have saved the lamb, whose name was a nod to drug lord Pablo Escobar, from a 'dangerous position' in the middle of the road. The lamb had apparently been taken from North Lanrigg Farm, without the owner's permission.
Both Sangster, 41, and McNeil were found guilty of possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to supply in September at Glasgow Sheriff Court, though they denied knowledge of the drugs. McNeil, from Fairlie, Ayrshire, appeared for sentencing on Monday. A warrant has been issued for Sangster's arrest.
Sheriff Tony Kelly ordered McNeil to complete 300 hours of unpaid community work and wear an electronic tag for six months. The sheriff stated that custody would be avoided due to the age of the matters and the absence of further criminal offenses.
Pablo the lamb has been returned to its owner and is reportedly doing well. | Daily Mail Online