Dale Cleeton is in prison after being convicted twice for serious and organised crime offences in Edinburgh. He was first jailed for seven years in August 2024 for running a major drug supply operation from inside HMP Edinburgh while on remand. He was then sentenced to a further three years in March 2026 for organised crime offences committed while he was out on bail in 2023. The two sentences run consecutively, meaning Cleeton will serve a total of ten years.

Who Is Dale Cleeton?

Dale Allan Cleeton is an Edinburgh-based organised crime figure who has been convicted on two separate occasions for serious criminal offending. He first came to public attention when it emerged that he had continued to coordinate a significant drug supply network even while held on remand inside HMP Edinburgh. His second set of convictions — for offences committed while he was out on bail — led to an additional three-year sentence imposed at the High Court in Glasgow in March 2026. Cleeton is considered a persistent and serious organised crime offender by Police Scotland.

First Conviction: Running a Drug Network from Prison (2024)

Dale Cleeton’s first major conviction came in August 2024 when he was jailed for seven years at the High Court in Edinburgh. The conviction related to his role in a significant organised crime gang that flooded Edinburgh’s streets with cocaine. Cleeton had been on remand inside HMP Edinburgh awaiting trial when investigators established that he had not stopped his criminal activity. Instead, he had continued to coordinate the drug network from within the prison, directing associates on the outside using a mobile phone smuggled into the jail.

He was convicted alongside three co-accused — Calvin Boyd Begbie, Fraser Boyd, and Mitchel Whyte — following an investigation by Police Scotland’s Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit. The gang was responsible for distributing cocaine on a significant scale across Edinburgh. Cleeton, as the gang’s leader, received the longest sentence of the four defendants. The use of mobile phones to continue criminal activity from inside prison is a serious issue across the UK estate. For more information on what is and is not permitted inside UK prisons, see our guide on prison contraband in the UK.

Second Conviction: Organised Crime on Bail (2026)

Despite his seven-year sentence, a second prosecution arose from events that had taken place before his 2024 conviction. In August 2023, while Cleeton was out on bail in connection with his earlier charges, he was stopped by officers on the M8 motorway in Scotland. He was later arrested and formally charged in connection with serious and organised crime offences on 29 November 2023. These offences were separate from those that led to his 2024 sentencing and were prosecuted independently.

Cleeton pleaded guilty to the 2023 offences. He appeared at the High Court in Glasgow for sentencing on 20 March 2026. The judge imposed a sentence of three years, reduced from an initial four years to reflect his guilty plea. Crucially, this sentence was ordered to run consecutively — that is, after, rather than at the same time as — the seven-year sentence already being served.

The M8 Motorway Arrest

The August 2023 incident on the M8 motorway eastbound near junction 2 was the trigger for the second set of proceedings against Cleeton. He was stopped by officers while travelling on the motorway. The exact nature of what was found or observed at that stop led to a subsequent investigation and his arrest on 29 November 2023. He was charged with serious and organised crime offences and the case proceeded through the Scottish court system before reaching the High Court in Glasgow for the March 2026 sentencing hearing.

The fact that Cleeton was committing further organised crime offences while on bail — having already been charged with similar offences — was treated as a significant aggravating factor by the court. It demonstrated, in the prosecution’s submission, a persistent commitment to serious criminal activity regardless of the legal jeopardy he already faced.

For families of those serving long sentences in Scotland’s prison system, our guide on how to send money to a prisoner covers the practical steps involved in maintaining contact.

Sentences and Implications

Dale Cleeton is now serving two consecutive sentences totalling ten years. His original seven-year sentence, imposed in August 2024, will be followed by the additional three-year term handed down in March 2026. The consecutive nature of the sentences means that the three years do not overlap with the seven years already being served — they begin only after the first sentence has been completed.

Cleeton remains a high-profile example of how organised crime figures in Scotland continue to receive significant custodial sentences for coordinated drug supply and serious criminal activity. His case also highlights the risk of offending while on bail, which courts treat as a distinct aggravating factor at sentencing. For information about what the parole and release process looks like for long-term prisoners, see our overview of how the UK Parole Board operates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Dale Cleeton in prison?

Dale Cleeton is in prison for two sets of serious and organised crime convictions. He was first jailed for seven years in 2024 for running a drug supply network from inside HMP Edinburgh. He was then sentenced to a further three years in March 2026 for organised crime offences committed while on bail in 2023. The sentences run consecutively.

How long is Dale Cleeton’s total prison sentence?

Dale Cleeton is serving a total of ten years in custody. He received seven years at the High Court in Edinburgh in August 2024 and a further three years at the High Court in Glasgow in March 2026. The two sentences run one after the other rather than simultaneously.

What did Dale Cleeton do while on remand at HMP Edinburgh?

While on remand at HMP Edinburgh, Dale Cleeton continued to coordinate a significant cocaine supply network across Edinburgh using a mobile phone that had been smuggled into the prison. This led to his conviction and seven-year sentence in August 2024.

When was Dale Cleeton arrested on the M8 motorway?

Dale Cleeton was stopped by Police Scotland officers on the M8 motorway eastbound near junction 2 in August 2023. He was subsequently arrested and charged with serious and organised crime offences on 29 November 2023. These charges led to his second conviction in March 2026.

Did Dale Cleeton offend while on bail?

Yes. The offences for which Cleeton was sentenced in March 2026 were committed in August 2023 while he was out on bail in connection with his earlier charges. The court treated this as an aggravating factor at sentencing. His original sentence was reduced from four years to three years to reflect his guilty plea.