Six to stand trial over Edinburgh gun and drug charges 2026

Key Points

• Six accused William Harvey, 35; Charlie Stewart, 22; Kayla Harvey, 20; Jamie Welsh, 43; Jamie Shaw, 34; and Thomas Harvey, 61 will stand trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
• Charges include possession of a Ceonic P250 pistol and PAK cartridges without firearms certificates, and supply of diamorphine at Edinburgh properties in 2025.
• All offences are alleged to be aggravated by connection to serious organised crime.
• Not guilty pleas were entered at a preliminary hearing in Glasgow.
• A 10-day trial has been scheduled for November 2027 before Judge Norman McFadyen.

Edinburgh crime (Edinburgh Daily) July 29, 2026 – Six individuals will face trial next year on multiple gun and drug charges linked to serious organised crime, following a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Glasgow. William Harvey, 35, Charlie Stewart, 22, Kayla Harvey, 20, Jamie Welsh, 43, Jamie Shaw, 34, and Thomas Harvey, 61, all entered not guilty pleas during a short procedural hearing on Wednesday. The trial, expected to last 10 days, has been fixed for November 2027 before Judge Norman McFadyen.

Court papers outline a series of allegations centred on an Edinburgh flat on September 1, 2025. William Harvey, Kayla Harvey and Jamie Welsh are accused of possessing a Ceonic P250 pistol without the permission of Scottish Ministers. The trio are also alleged to have lacked a firearms certificate for the self-loading, blank-firing weapon. In addition, the same three face a separate charge of possessing PAK cartridges without a firearms certificate.

What drug supply offences are alleged in the indictment?

Kayla Harvey, Jamie Welsh, Charlie Stewart and Jamie Shaw are accused of being concerned in the supply of diamorphine at the Edinburgh flat on September 1, 2025. William Harvey faces two further, separate charges of being concerned in the supply of diamorphine at another Edinburgh property between July and September 2025. All six charges on the indictment are stated to be aggravated by a connection to serious organised crime.

Who are the six accused and what pleas were entered?

The six accused are William Harvey, 35; Charlie Stewart, 22; Kayla Harvey, 20; Jamie Welsh, 43; Jamie Shaw, 34; and Thomas Harvey, 61. According to court proceedings reported by multiple outlets covering the hearing, all six tendered not guilty pleas at the High Court in Glasgow. The matter proceeded to a trial date being set, with the case expected to be heard over 10 days in November 2027.

When and where will the trial take place?

The trial is scheduled to take place at the High Court in Glasgow in November 2027. Judge Norman McFadyen fixed the trial date following the preliminary hearing. The proceedings are expected to last approximately 10 days, according to court scheduling information.

What evidence is cited in the court papers?

Court papers referenced in coverage of the hearing state that the allegations relate to events at a flat in Edinburgh on September 1, 2025. The documents specify the type of firearm a Ceonic P250 pistol and note that it is a self-loading, blank-firing weapon. The papers also refer to PAK cartridges, which are commonly used in blank-firing and imitation firearms. The charges further allege involvement in the supply of diamorphine, a form of heroin, at specified addresses in Edinburgh during the summer and early autumn of 2025.

How does serious organised crime aggravation affect the charges?

Under Scots law, when a charge is aggravated by connection to serious organised crime, it signals that the offence is believed to have been committed as part of coordinated criminal activity by a group. This aggravation can influence sentencing ranges and reflects the seriousness with which the Crown views such cases. In this indictment, all six charges carry the serious organised crime aggravation, according to the court documents summarised in reports from the hearing.

Background: How did this case develop?

The case stems from police investigations into alleged firearms and drug offences in Edinburgh during 2025. According to court papers, the key date for several of the alleged offences is September 1, 2025, when the Ceonic P250 pistol and PAK cartridges are said to have been possessed at an Edinburgh flat without the required permissions or certificates. Additional allegations concern the supply of diamorphine at the same address on that date, and at another property between July and September 2025.

Following the investigation, the six individuals were charged and brought before the High Court in Glasgow. The preliminary hearing on Wednesday focused on pleas and trial scheduling. All six entered not guilty pleas, leading to the fixation of a 10-day trial in November 2027. The case will proceed under Judge Norman McFadyen, who set the trial timetable.

Prediction: How could this trial affect communities and stakeholders in Edinburgh?

If the allegations are proven at trial, the case could reinforce public perceptions of organised criminal networks operating in parts of Edinburgh, particularly regarding firearms and drug supply. For local residents, a high-profile trial may heighten concerns about safety and gang-related activity, potentially increasing demand for visible policing and community reassurance. For criminal justice stakeholders, including Police Scotland and the Crown Office, the outcome may inform resource allocation for future investigations into organised crime groups.

For the accused and their families, a lengthy trial and potential convictions could have significant personal and legal consequences, including custodial sentences given the serious organised crime aggravation. For defence representatives, the case underscores the complexity of multi-defendant trials involving firearms and drugs, where evidence chains and witness testimony will be closely scrutinised. More broadly, the trial’s outcome may influence policy discussions around firearms regulation, blank-firing weapons, and the enforcement of drug supply laws in urban Scotland.