A jailed drugs trafficker who previously asked a court to postpone proceedings so he could visit an Apple store is in a “bad way” having suffered a stroke.
William Binnie, 51, from Fife, is facing proceeds of crime action at the High Court in Edinburgh.
He was given a four and a half year jail term for being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
The Crown claims he has benefited from criminal conduct by £678,000 and has £170,000 available to meet a confiscation order.
However, on Monday, defence advocate Duncan McPhie told judge Lord Fairley his client is seriously ill so he is unable to take instructions from Binnie.
Mr McPhie added: “Mr Binnie has suffered a stroke and his not yet well enough to allow me to consult with him.
“To put it short he’s in a bad way. He has sustained brain injury.”
Computer hack needed
Binnie was jailed in 2019 after he was caught with cocaine worth £1,750.
He admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug between August 2018 and January 2019 at Rising Sun Road, Buckhaven and Main Street, West Wemyss.
He previously served a nine-year sentence for trafficking in heroin.
In May 2021, lawyers for Binnie asked a court to put off the proceeds of crime action so he could have an Apple computer examined.
Binnie’s counsel at that hearing, Mark Moir, told the court he hoped to recover information from the computer that would help his defence to the action.
Mr Moir said he met Binnie at Perth Prison and was told of the computer at the prisoner’s home.
Binnie said there was a large amount of evidence on it, some of which related to items he had sold on Gumtree, including vehicles.
Mr Moir told the court he thought he has lost access to it but discovered if he took it to an Apple store, staff would have the facilities “to break into the computer”.
However, he said Binnie had to be personally present as owner of the computer and should be allowed time out of prison to visit an Apple store.
He argued it was in the interests of justice Binnie be given the opportunity to present all the information available to vouch for the sources of his income in the proceeds of crime action.
On Monday, Lord Fairley postponed the case until February 25 2023.
The court ordered a psychiatric report be obtained to assess Binnie’s capacity.
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