Edinburgh crime: Man who flew drone into HMP Edinbugh to pay off drug debt avoids jail

He flew the drone in a bid to pay off a drug debt.

An Edinburgh gardener who agreed to fly a drone packed full of cocaine and mobile phones into HMP Edinburgh in a bid to pay off a drug debt has escaped a jail sentence.

Calvin Begbie flew the £1,000 Mavic Pro drone over the walls of the Capital prison in a bid to supply prisoners with three phones, charging equipment and a quantity Class A drugs. But the 29-year-old was caught out after the aircraft crashed landed in the prison grounds in November 2021 and he was later snared after his DNA was linked to the crime.

Begbie admitted the offences when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in August and he was back in the dock for sentencing on Monday. Prosecutor Sarah Whyte told the court prison guards “became aware of a drone that had crash landed in the grounds” of Saughton prison in the west of the capital on November 8, 2021.

Calvin Begbie flew the £1,000 Mavic Pro drone over the walls of the Edinburgh prison

Ms Whyte said: “They attended and found the drone at 5pm containing the items that are liabled. There were phones, SIM cards, charging cables and cocaine. The accused was later cautioned and charged.”

The court was told the consignment of Class A drugs amounted to 14.4 grams. Court papers state the haul attached to the DJI Mavic Pro Drone included one black Samsung phone, two gold iPhones, nine SIM cards, a mobile phone charging adapter and a mobile phone charging cable.

Solicitor Liam Kildare, for Begbie, said the offence his client had carried out was “obviously very serious” and admitted “custody will be at the forefront of the court’s mind” when it comes to sentencing.

Mr Kildare said Begbie had been addicted to cocaine at the time and had run up debts to support his drug habit. The lawyer said Begbie had been told he could “pay off his debts” by agreeing to fly the drone into the prison and he had “foolishly taken the offer up”.

The court was told Begbie, a landscape gardener, had since “made changes to his own life” and had successfully completed a rehabilitation course in a bid to come off the drug. Mr Kildare said the social work report had deemed his client suitable for a community payback order and that he was also a suitable candidate for unpaid work as he is “young, fit and healthy”. He added: “He has shown insight into the offence and the foolishness of his actions.”

Sheriff Ian Anderson was then told Begbie had been arrested in March this year after traces of his DNA had been identified on the drone. Sheriff Anderson said: “You are very fortunate you have been charged on a summary complaint as this is a very serious offence. But you have not been in custody before, your prior convictions are relatively limited and you have not offended since then. So I am prepared to deal with this by way a community payback order as an alternative to custody.”

Begbie, of Dalry, Edinburgh, was ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work in the community to be completed with 12 months. Begbie pleaded guilty to attempting to introduce three mobile phones, nine SIM cards and a charging adapter and charging cable at HMP Edinburgh on November 8, 2021.

He also admitted to attention to introduce a quantity of cocaine and did operate a drone and fly it into prison grounds with cocaine attached within the device at HMP Edinburgh on the same date.