Scots couple face life in jail after they were hit by major new charges over a huge ketamine haul allegedly found stuffed in the boot of their Sydney rental car
A Scottish couple arrested with 60kg of ketamine at a Sydney hotel have been hit with further charges of directing and taking part in a criminal group, adding to accusations of drug supply that already carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Demi McDaid, 23, and Jack Farrelly, 30, from Edinburgh, were arrested on 29 June after police investigating drug supply on Sydney's north shore raided their hotel room and a rented Artarmon flat, allegedly finding the ketamine haul, cash, drug ledgers and scales. Prosecutors say the pair travelled to Australia solely to distribute large commercial quantities of prohibited drugs.
Police allege they found 1kg of ketamine at the Artarmon unit before tracing the couple to Rydges North Sydney, where a further 60kg was allegedly discovered in the boot of Farrelly's rental car, along with more than $2,000 in cash. McDaid is accused of participating in a criminal group between 15 May and 29 June, while Farrelly faces the more serious charge of knowingly directing that group. Both were refused bail at Manly Local Court and remain in custody, with their case adjourned until 22 October.
- Scottish couple charged over alleged 60kg ketamine haul in Sydney
- New charges of directing and joining a criminal group added
- Face life imprisonment; remanded until 22 October court date
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Scottish couple Demi McDaid, 23, and Jack Farrelly, 30, both from Edinburgh, are facing serious drug trafficking charges in Australia after their arrest in Sydney at the end of June. Police allege they found ketamine, cash and equipment linked to drug dealing at a flat and hotel room the pair had been using, with a much larger quantity later discovered in their rental car.
Ketamine is normally used as an anaesthetic in medicine and veterinary practice, but is also used illegally as a recreational drug; possessing or supplying large amounts of it is treated as a serious criminal offence in Australia. The original charges against the couple related to drug supply, which under Australian law can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for very large quantities.
Both McDaid and Farrelly have been refused bail and are being held in custody in Australia while the case proceeds through the courts, with a further hearing due in October. The case matters because it involves two young Scots facing some of the most serious criminal charges available under Australian law, far from home and without access to bail while the legal process continues.