SCOTS DRUG COURT MAKES FIRST ORDER

A petty thief yesterday became the first person to be dealt with by
Scotland's new drug court.

William Graham, 25, was sentenced to a two-year drug treatment and testing
order and banned from driving for two years after pleading guilty to a
number of theft and driving charges.

Graham, a heroin addict, will have to make regular appearances at Glasgow
Sheriff Court to convince Sheriff Hugh Matthews that he is making attempts
to free himself of drugs. Sheriff Matthews said that sentence was not a
"soft touch" and that he would have to comply with the order or face the
possibility of prison.

The court has been introduced by the Scottish Executive after fears had
been expressed that drug users were not receiving adequate attention from
court staff. The courts, which are already operating in the United States
and elsewhere, aim to get addicts off drugs, although sheriffs can still
send offenders to jail.