Pensioner caught dealing prescription drugs from her Aberdeen home

A 70-year-old woman who was caught dealing thousands of pounds worth of anti-anxiety and sleeping pills from her home has avoided a prison sentence.

Aberdeen pensioner Eileen Gill had more than £8,000 of drugs, such as Diazepam, Pregabalin, Zopiclone and Alprazolam, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.

Police found pills and capsules of the drugs in Gill’s house and more drugs within a holdall in her car.

It was stated that Gill, a first offender, had got involved in the scheme as a “favour for a friend”.

Her solicitor, Liam Mcallister, described his client’s actions as “foolishness”.

Police then searched Gill’s car

Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson told the court that in August 2022, police received intelligence that Gill was concerned in the supply of controlled drugs from her home.

A search warrant was executed at 11.15am on August 9 at Gill’s address on Marquis Road, Aberdeen.

The search unearthed £835 in cash, 3,000 Pregabalin tablets, 180 Alprazolam tablets, 273 Diazepam tablets and car keys to a silver Vauxhall.

The vehicle, which was parked outside the property, was also searched and officers found a holdall within the boot containing 1,200 Pregabalin capsules, 1,500 Diazepam tablets, 1,120 Zopiclone tablets.

Within the backseat of the vehicle, police also found 700 Zopiclone tablets and 750 Pregabalin tablets.

Diazepam is a benzodiazepine and is often prescribed for anxiety, whereas Pregabalin is also used to treat anxiety, but also epilepsy.

Alprazolam, also known as Xanax, isn’t even legally prescribed in the UK.
Zopiclone is used as a sleeping pill.

Gill was arrested by police and during an interview she admitted buying the drugs online and had been selling them to “associates”.

The total street value of the drugs found within Gill’s property was £8,123.

In the dock, Gill admitted four charges of being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

‘Disgusted by her foolishness’

Defence solicitor Liam Mcallister told the court that he was aware that his client’s offences reached the threshold for a custodial sentence, but that he was seeking to convince the court otherwise.

“Mrs Gill is 70 years old and is appearing as a first offender to the court,” the solicitor said.

“I appreciate it will concern the court as to why someone who has never troubled the court before would get involved in something like this.

“She is disgusted by her foolishness and the shame that she feels.”

Sheriff Philip Mann said he couldn’t understand why someone who had reached the age of 70 without receiving any convictions “would get themselves involved in this”.

“You thought you were doing a favour for a friend but sometimes favours for friends get you into this type of trouble,” the sheriff said.

As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Mann made Gill, of Marquis Road, Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order with supervision for 18 months.

He also put a restriction of liberty order assessment in place for eight months.

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