Personal trainer threw £900,000 worth of cocaine from car during police chase

A personal trainer caught with a £900,000 drugs haul after a high speed police chase has been jailed for five years and four months.

William Paterson, 35, threw the box of cocaine from a car window during the pursuit around the north of Glasgow on March 1, 2023.

Officers had earlier kept tabs on “courier” Paterson through Operation Windstriker which focused on an organised crime group based in the West of Scotland.

Paterson pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to being concerned in the supply of cocaine aggravated by a connection with serious organised crime.

The court heard how Paterson was spotted receiving a box from a man in the city’s Springboig before putting it in his vehicle and driving off.

Box of cocaine discarded by William Paterson found by police COPFS

Officers decided to apprehend Paterson and stopped beside him at a set of traffic lights on Cumbernauld Road.

He then performed a U-turn on the busy carriageway, hitting an unmarked police vehicle and other cars before driving off at high speed back in the direction of Glasgow.

Officers saw Paterson throw a black phone out of the driver’s window during the pursuit.

Paterson later did another U-turn in the city’s Robroyston when he drove back towards the pursuing officers.

His Mercedes struck the police vehicle which caused his airbags to inflate as well as damage to both cars.

He was apprehended then taken to hospital and released without treatment.

However, two of the officers involved suffered from suspected whiplash. The police vehicle was later written off.

Paterson’s car was searched and two envelopes containing £1,000 and £5,370 were recovered.

The black box Paterson was earlier spotted taking possession of was not found.

Officers retraced the route of the pursuit and recovered it from near Hogganfield Loch.

It was found to contain 90 blocks of cocaine, subdivided into one gram street deals with a potential value of between £719,000 and £898,800.

It was also stated that the purity of the blocks ranged between 81% and 83%.

Paterson’s home in Chryston, Lanarkshire, was searched and a MacBook as well as an iPhone were recovered. Both items were later destroyed by police.

Bob Mitchell, defending, told the sentencing that the dad-of-two became involved having suffered “financial difficulties.”

The lawyer said: “He was offered money to act in the way he did on this day.

“He was to be a courier for one day which was the date of the offence. It’s a decision he bitterly regrets.”

Judge Lady Hood said: “You said you had financial worries which were exacerbated by your mental health and depression.

“You said you agreed for money to carry out this task for an acquaintance, realising it involved illegal substances.

“Having suffered yourself and helped others, you are aware of the devastating impact substances have.

“You said yourself that you feel like a fraud and you did not use the support of your family but became embroiled in organised crime.

“Trafficking Class A drugs with a substantial quantity is a serious offence and I have to protect the public by deterring others from becoming involved in this activity.”