A SOLICITOR whose 30-year legal career lay in tatters after he was caught trying to smuggle mobile phones and drugs into Edinburgh's Saughton Prison was jailed for four years yesterday.
The final act of David Blair Wilson's shame was played out at the High Court in Edinburgh when judge Lord Jones told him he had abused his position as a lawyer.
In an earlier trial CCTV footage showed plain clothes police blocking any attempt by Blair Wilson to drive away, then leading him away in handcuffs.
A search of his car uncovered the phones, diazepam tablets which may have been worth £2800 at inflated prison prices, cannabis resin with a prison value of £4000 and other contraband items.
Judge Lord Jones said: "The misuse of drugs in prison is a well-recognised problem to which you were intent on contributing.
"You knew that, as a solicitor visiting a client in prison, you were in a privileged position. You cynically abused the privilege you had been given and abused the trust placed in you."
The smuggling attempt was a well-planned operation, the judge added. Blair Wilson, 55, of Dunfermline, insisted he did not know the suspect packages were there and blamed another man for any wrong-doing.
The lawyer enjoyed a brief notoriety more than 20 years ago when he helped clear a friend and fellow solicitor accused of embezzling more than £50,000 of clients' money from his firm.
The trial of Colin Tucker sparked a break-in at the Fettes HQ of Lothian and Borders Police, a probe by a top QC.
Yesterday, defence advocate Susan Duff, asking for leniency, paid tribute to Blair Wilson as a solicitor.
She said: "He has had a long and successful career in the law, a career built on hard work and a deeply committed attitude of care for his clients. Blair Wilson was a man for whom nothing was too much trouble."
Now, she said, he knew he would never work again in that profession.
On the day he was caught the solicitor had arranged to visit – in his professional capacity – Lee Brown, 35, who told the trial he was serving 18-and-a-half years.
CCTV footage showed Blair Wilson arriving at the Saughton jail carrying a bulging folder.
Prison officer Graham Robertson, 25, described how he checked Blair Wilson's ID and his colleague told the solicitor his folder had to be scanned.
"He became quite anxious looking, began to sort of fidget. His body language changed slightly," said the prison officer.Blair Wilson returned to his Vauxhall Signum then came back into the prison vestibule. This time his file was thinner.
In the witness box, Blair Wilson said the suspect packages were nothing to do with him.
He said Steven Douglas – a youth he had befriended who regarded him as a surrogate father – must have put them under the driver's seat when he borrowed the car the day before. There were 19 fingerprints on the packages that matched those of Mr Douglas. Not one matched Blair Wilson's prints.
Mr Douglas should have appeared as a witness – but, when asked where he was, Blair Wilson replied: "I wish I knew."
A jury's majority verdict convicted Blair Wilson of attempting to smuggle three mobile phones, three SIM cards along with two chargers and two earphones into the jail.
He was also found guilty, by majority, of being concerned in the supply of cannabis resin, diazepam and body-building drugs – in particular to Lee Brown.During the trial, charges of breaching the Prisons (Scotland) Act by introducing drugs into the jail were dropped.
Lord Jones said he was taking into account Blair Wilson was a first offender who also suffered from serious health problems.
"While I take these matters into consideration, it has to be recognised that you chose to commit these offences and did this with your eyes open, knowing what the risks were and the consequences if you were caught."
Blair Wilson also faces automatic prosecution before the Scottish Solicitors Discipline Tribunal.
Philip Yelland, director of Regulation at the Law Society of Scotland, said: "Solicitors are expected to maintain the highest standards both in their professional and personal lives.
"They are bound by rules including rules about their conduct, and serious criminal convictions are a breach of these rules."
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