• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Edinburgh heroin dealer, Mark Renton, given jail sentence

Source:

www.scotsman.com/regions/edinburgh-...mark-renton-given-jail-sentence-1-4546715/amp

Mark Renton was found to have been in possession of heroin with a street value of £620.

Acting on intelligence that he may be involved in the drug trafficking trade, police approached Mr Renton at West Pilton Lea on 15 April, but the 37-year-old attempted to cycle away. A wad of cash and a phone was found on his person.

Renton admitted he had been earning around £250 a day selling drugs but claimed he was trying to help a woman pay off debts and gain access to her children.

A judge told Renton at the High Court in Edinburgh: “In my considered view you present a substantial danger to public safety.”

Lord Pentland said it was no exaggeration to state that Rention had “a dreadful record of offending,” and that it was clear the accused had little respect for the law and was unable or unwilling to control

He told him: “You have been given numerous opportunities to address your drug addiction.”

Renton earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin between 1 March and 15 April this year at West Pilton Lea, in Edinburgh, and elsewhere in the city after being freed on two bail orders from the city’s sheriff court.

Lord Pentland pointed out that it was his fourth conviction for trafficking in the Class A drug. He told Renton that if he had been convicted of the offence after trial he would have jailed him for nine years.

Advocate depute Martin Richardson said that officers on patrol had seen Renton out on a bike on 15 April at West Pilton Lea and were made aware of intelligence that suggested he may be involved in drug supply.

As they got out of their vehicle he started to cycle off but was pursued and detained. During further searches at addresses linked to him drug dealer’s tick lists were found.

Defence counsel Gail Gianni pointed out that all Renton’s drug supply offending involved comparatively small amounts of drugs.

But Lord Pentland earlier said: “It is not unusual for experienced drug traffickers to be found in possession of small quantities of drugs, for obvious reasons.”

The court heard that Renton, a prisoner in Saughton, had been assessed as posing a high risk of further offending unless he could break a cycle of drug addiction.
 

Burt

Member
I mean, amusing stuff, but "I'm going to act like you had more drugs than you did because I want to" is pretty iffy.
 
ewen-bremner-in-trainspotting-2-poster--1484653837-article-2.jpg

First, there's an opportunity. Then... there's a betrayal.
 

Burt

Member

Defence counsel Gail Gianni pointed out that all Renton’s drug supply offending involved comparatively small amounts of drugs.

But Lord Pentland earlier said: “It is not unusual for experienced drug traffickers to be found in possession of small quantities of drugs, for obvious reasons.”

"Sure, you didn't really have that much weight on you, but I think things about people like you so I'm just going to proceed like you did have a lot of weight on you."
 

whitehawk

Banned
I think anybody slinging heroin is a danger to public safety.

He got 6 years, that's fair. Heroin is nasty shit. He'll also probably be out in less.
6 years is too much for any drug, outside of maybe fentanyl, krokidil etc. So long as they are non violent.
 
Convenient thing for the police to say 🤔

I'm guessing it's probably a bit of an Al-Capone-Tax-Evasion thing - they might well know he's a big deal but if he's careful enough not to get his own hands too dirty then they gotta slap him with what they can get.
 

bomma_man

Member
I'm guessing it's probably a bit of an Al-Capone-Tax-Evasion thing - they might well know he's a big deal but if he's careful enough not to get his own hands too dirty then they gotta slap him with what they can get.

Still, the court should only sentence him based on what's in front of it. If he has priors, (which I imagine he must, given the sentence) fine.
 

Dali

Member
I just did a Google image since I didn't see any pictures in the article. This mark Renton guy looks just like a younger version of ewan McGregor.
 
Still, the court should only sentence him based on what's in front of it. If he has priors, (which I imagine he must, given the sentence) fine.

Well it does say...

Renton earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin between 1 March and 15 April this year at West Pilton Lea, in Edinburgh, and elsewhere in the city after being freed on two bail orders from the city’s sheriff court.

Lord Pentland pointed out that it was his fourth conviction for trafficking in the Class A drug. He told Renton that if he had been convicted of the offence after trial he would have jailed him for nine years.

So I'm guessing he broke his bail conditions (one of which was, probably, "stop selling heroin").
 

daviyoung

Banned
I just did a Google image since I didn't see any pictures in the article. This mark Renton guy looks just like a younger version of ewan McGregor.

Maybe in the mid 90s. He doesn't look that much younger than Ewan Mcgregor now.
 

DeathyBoy

Banned
In my head when asked to state how his defendant pleaded, the lawyer read the "it's shite being Scottish" speech, then sat back down.
 
Still, the court should only sentence him based on what's in front of it. If he has priors, (which I imagine he must, given the sentence) fine.

"Renton admitted he had been earning around £250 a day selling drugs but claimed he was trying to help a woman pay off debts and gain access to her children."
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
Good to see Pilton is still a peaceful and beautiful hamlet. I wonder if Niddrie is any better.
 

Weilthain

Banned
Good to see Pilton is still a peaceful and beautiful hamlet. I wonder if Niddrie is any better.

The Main Street that runs through niddrie and craigmiller is certainly looking better these days with lots of development happening. Can't say for the actual area though.
 

boxoctosis

Member
The Main Street that runs through niddrie and craigmiller is certainly looking better these days with lots of development happening. Can't say for the actual area though.

Went for a bike ride a recent Sunday morning, found a very burnt out car on the cycle path right behind a row of houses in craigmillar. So I'm gonna say "needs work".
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
The Main Street that runs through niddrie and craigmiller is certainly looking better these days with lots of development happening. Can't say for the actual area though.

Do they still say "Niddrie Breeks" to describe bad pants fashion? In my day Niddrie Breeks included denim parachute pants and snow-washed jeans.

There was also the fabled "Niddrie joint" whereby the Niddrie schemie* taxed with rolling a spliff put all the ganj in the front and filled the back with tobacco - and of course got the first smoke.


*Person who lives in a "housing scheme" aka dismal Project - and exhibits associated behaviors and fashion.


Thought this as well


That's the whole point of the story. It's as if in real life a guy with a
pronounced limp
named Kyser Soze were arrested for an explosive heist in San Pedro harbor.
 
Yeah, people defending it as being not that bad are incredibly ignorant. Heroin is such a fucked up drug, it's one that never needs to be legal.

While i agree heroin is really bad, it'd be far better to legalise it as by far the biggest problem with it is the crime created by addicts to fund their habits, well perhaps not legalise as such but prescribe it to addicts which can actually be done but isnt done very widely
 

hobozero

Member
While i agree heroin is really bad, it'd be far better to legalise it as by far the biggest problem with it is the crime created by addicts to fund their habits, well perhaps not legalise as such but prescribe it to addicts which can actually be done but isnt done very widely

So are you arguing for heroin to be legal, or free? or both?
 

Weilthain

Banned
Do they still say "Niddrie Breeks" to describe bad pants fashion? In my day Niddrie Breeks included denim parachute pants and snow-washed jeans.

There was also the fabled "Niddrie joint" whereby the Niddrie schemie* taxed with rolling a spliff put all the ganj in the front and filled the back with tobacco - and of course got the first smoke.


*Person who lives in a "housing scheme" aka dismal Project - and exhibits associated behaviors and fashion.

schemie was a term I heard a lot growing up in Pathhead in the 90s (about 22 miles from Edinburgh) but really haven't heard it been used for the longest time in Edinburgh . Chav seems to be the go to term that means the same thing I guess.,Ned also but maybe not as much. The niddrie joint isn't something I've personally heard of but we did utilise that tactic to ensure the guy at school we sadly bullied didn't get any, so it's definitely a thing.

Tracksuit tucked into socks is natures warning to stay away from someone. Usually you'll over hear them say something like this to each other,

"Awright pal, how's it going ? I heard your dads dead!

"aye!"
 
lmao. Ironically I'm visiting scotland and just today visited the spot in Edinburgh where they shot the opening scene of the movie
 

Lego Boss

Member
While i agree heroin is really bad, it'd be far better to legalise it as by far the biggest problem with it is the crime created by addicts to fund their habits, well perhaps not legalise as such but prescribe it to addicts which can actually be done but isnt done very widely

Legalise all drugs for control purposes. Cut out the majority of crimes and in making it less taboo, make sure that Rents can't knock it out anymore.

Seriously, l think the UK's drug policy needs a serious overhaul. Perhaps when Corbs gets in, even meow meow will be legal.
 
Top Bottom