Bay City pair deny drugs charges

Mr McGlynn denies conspiracy to supply the drug

Former Bay City Rollers guitarist Patrick McGlynn tried a line of cocaine in a hotel car park, intending to buy £16,000 of the drug, a court heard.

A CD with a line of cocaine and £16,000 in bundles of notes were found in a car in which he arrived at the hotel in Waltham Abbey, Essex, jurors heard.

He and the driver, Alistair Murray, deny conspiracy to supply the drug.

Former Rollers frontman Les McKeown, who is accused of setting up the "meet", also denies the charge.

What the Crown say is that they were sampling before they decided to buy Prosecutor Samantha Leigh

Basildon Crown Court heard Mr McGlynn, 47, was driven down to the Marriott Hotel in Waltham Abbey from Edinburgh by his friend Mr Murray.

In a black Golf driven to the hotel by Jason Abbott, £16,000 of 80% pure cocaine was found wrapped in carrier bags, the court heard.

Prosecutor Samantha Leigh said: "In the Clio there was a normal CD with a line of white powder... virtually indistinguishable from the powder in the bags.

"The Crown would say they are one in the same.

McKeown's band found fame in the 1970s with hits like Bye Bye Baby

"Murray's fingerprint was found on the CD. Murray and McGlynn have accepted that they had a line of cocaine.

"What the Crown say is that they were sampling before they decided to buy."

She also said Mr McKeown was not there, but was the link between the two sets of people and sent a text to Mr McGlynn, giving him directions to the hotel.

"His involvement was that he arranged the meeting and the pick-up," she said.

The court was told Mr McGlynn said he was looking to buy a car, and Mr McKeown said one of the men at the Essex meeting might be able to help. He said they were given lines of coke to "cheer them up", the court heard.

Mr McGlynn, 47, and Mr Murray, 36, both from Edinburgh, deny conspiracy to supply 495gm (17oz) of the class A drug last May.

Mr McKeown, 50, from Hackney, east London, who found fame in the 70s with hits such as Bye Bye Baby, also denies the charge.

A further charge of conspiring to supply the same quantity of cocaine again on the same day has been made against Mr McKeown - which he also denies.