A MAN who carried out a viscious street assault to ‘avenge his son’ and was caught with £35,000 of heroin has been turned down for a cab licence.

Councillors refused John McKee’s application for a private hire car driver’s licence when they found out he was jailed for 29 months for being in possession of the Class A drug in 2012.

Four years earlier he was fined £750 after kicking and punching a man on a Glasgow street in a an apparent revenge attack.

In September 2012 police officers attended Clyde Workshops and found Mr McKee trying to leave. He was charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act when he was found with 700g of the class-A drug.

Police also discovered £3000 worth of herbal cannabis.

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McKee claimed he had been asked to watch the bags of brown powder for a couple of weeks but didn’t know what it was. The court confiscated £27,000 from him as a result.

In April 2008 Mr McKee attacked a man on a street in Glasgow and handed a hammer to another man who struck the victim.

McKee was fined £750 but said it was a revenge attack as his son had been attacked.

McKee was hauled before the licensing committee on Thursday to explain his actions.

He said: “Someone asked me to look after the drugs for a couple of weeks and I got caught.

“I didn’t know what it was and I nearly lost my family as a result.

“In relation to the assault, previously my son was coming home and a group of men attacked him with a blade. I wanted to show them a lesson.

“I am unemployed. It has been hard finding a job because of my age.I used to be a taxi driver but years ago but at that time it was too hard so I gave it up.”

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Councillor Alex Wilson said: “It is a lot harder now. I understand you want to work to get your life back together.”

Councillors were suspicious of Mr McKee’s reason for being in possession of 700g of heroin.

Councillor John Kane said: “You said you were watching the powder for a couple of weeks and did not know what it was.”

Mr McKee responded: “I was told it was cannabis. I left when the police arrived because I wanted to know what it was.”

Mr Kane continued: “The police had a search warrant and you were found with bags of brown powder when trying to leave the property.

“You are now telling us you were trying to find out what you were watching.”

Councillor Rhiannon Spear said: “This happened in 2012. What has been your relationship with drugs since then? Do you still speak to these people?”

Mr McKee said that he did not and that he didn’t touch drugs. Following the discussion members agreed to refuse the licence.