A lawyer is facing criminal charges after he was allegedly caught in court with drugs.
Michael McKeown was stopped and searched by police as he prepared to represent a client.
Officers detained the 51-year-old after allegedly discovering he was in possession of a small amount of cannabis.
A colleague from his firm Callahan McKeown & Co needed to be contacted to stand in for him during the hearing.
The drama happened at Glasgow Sheriff Court on April 6.
Sources close to McKeown say he has been struggling to cope with restrictions imposed by the coronavirus lockdown.
They described the incident as a “personal disaster” for the solicitor, whose law practice is based in Renfrew.
He could also face professional censure over the incident.
The source said: “Michael has been quite down coping with the coronavirus lockdown and has been struggling.
“Stupidly, he was at his mum’s house to help dig up her garden.
“He was heading home in his car when he got a call from his office asking him to go to court to represent a client immediately.
“Coronavirus has thrown the whole court system up in the air and he didn’t know he was meant to be going. It’s an unusual situation.
“Michael thinks it’s hugely embarrassing and has said it’s been a personal disaster.
“He’s not been charged yet but admits it’s been a stupid mistake.”
A Crown Office spokesman said: “The procurator fiscal has received a report concerning a 51-year-old man in relation to an alleged incident on April 6, 2020. The report is under consideration.”
McKeown lives in an upmarket apartment in Glasgow with his partner, who also works at his law firm.
He said: “I won’t comment but I’d like to stress I’ve not been arrested, cautioned or charged in respect to any alleged offence.”
The solicitor frequently appears at courts across the Central Belt.
In February, he represented Celtic fan Kevin McGuire, 36, who was jailed for 10 months for punching three police horses – Nerston,
Oban and Glasgow – during a football riot before a Scottish Cup game against Airdrie in 2019.
And in 2006, McKeown was given a police warning over booze-fuelled antics on a flight home from Egypt.
Cabin crew reportedly told him off for making too much noise, which led to an ugly confrontation before police intervened when they landed.
Solicitors can face serious penalties from their own watchdogs for falling short of standards.
The Law Society of Scotland can investigate the incident or refer it to the Scottish Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal, who can remove a solicitor’s licence to practise and impose a fine.
