Father and son team Bernard and Mason McLean worked together in a ‘busy drug supply operation’
Mason McLean(Image: Merseyside Police)
A drug dealer threw a bag full of cannabis and cash into his next door neighbour’s back garden before his dad claimed the stash belonged to him. Father and son team Bernard and Mason McLean were said to have worked together in what was described as a “busy drug supply operation”.
But a raid on their home also led to another of the former’s children, teenager Reece McLean, appearing in the dock. While a judge yesterday told the dad his claims to be responsible for the cannabis “may have been motivated by trying to protect his sons”, he was ultimately spared an immediate prison sentence as he appeared in court the day before his birthday.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday afternoon that police executed a search warrant at the McLeans’ address on Gilbert Street in Liverpool city centre on December 27 2024, at which stage one officer saw Mason McLean leaning out of a rear first storey window before throwing a bag into the garden of a neighbouring property. When recovered, this was found to contain 102g of cannabis and £1,000 in cash.
Mike Stevenson, prosecuting, outlined how PCs then entered the house via the front door and restrained the occupants following a brief struggle. Further quantities of the class B drug, monies totalling more than £4,000 and a large quantity of snap bags were recovered from inside.
Two more bags were meanwhile discovered beside bins in the garden, with hundreds more snap bags found in one and the other having contained two bars of cannabis resin and a set of scales bearing traces of the drug. In total, Merseyside Police seized 515g of cannabis and 194g of cannabis resin, worth around £7,000.
Bernard McLean was said to have “announced that all of the cannabis recovered was his responsibility” as officers conducted their searches. He has previous convictions for possession of controlled drugs in 2003, 2018, 2025 and 2026, as well as receiving a suspended prison sentence for possession of a bladed article in a public place at Plymouth Crown Court in February last year.
Lloyd Morgan, defending, said on his behalf: “In my submission, he has expressed genuine remorse for his involvement. Importantly, he has no previous convictions for supplying drugs.
“He has health conditions, for which he is medicated. He takes zopiclone for his anxiety and depression and also blood thinning medication to take into account a heart attack that he had some years ago.
“As a result of those conditions, he is in receipt of Universal Credit and PIP. There is evidence that he has been able to rehabilitate himself, if not from cannabis then certainly from class A drugs.”
Mason McLean was previously handed a total of four years behind bars for conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle and causing serious injury by dangerous driving in February 2025. The 21-year-old’s counsel Jason Smith told the court: “He is still a serving prisoner for that matter.
“This offence goes back to when he was 19 years of age. It took 12 months for the prosecution to bring these allegations against him. Its quite bizarre that it did take so long to charge these defendants with these offences.
“He is working hard during that sentence. He is doing the rehabilitation courses that he needs to do. It is hoped that he will be in a position to be released on tag towards the end of this year. He is still a young man. He is looking towards his release date.
“The court can stand back and approach this case perhaps unusually. To allow him to carry on his work in prison and be released with that work being undertaken is important. In my submission, the sentence that can be imposed today is one that allows that to take place and is made concurrent to the sentence that is currently being served.”
Reece McLean was ultimately only linked to one 10g bag of the class B drug which was recovered by police, being found in his bedroom and bearing his fingerprints. The 19-year-old was later found in possession of a further small quantity in the back of a taxi on December 19 last year.
His criminal record contains only one previous conviction, being fined £200 for an offence of threatening behaviour which was committed the day after the raid on the McLean home. His barrister Callum Ross added: “He is a young man. He was 18 at the time of this offence. He was a man, I note, of good character at that point.
“Taking into consideration a relatively low level offence, he has kept himself away from offending behaviour. He is a registered carer for his father and assists him with taking medication and general errands.”
Bernard McLean, who turns 46 today, Friday, admitted possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possession of criminal property. He was handed a 15-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months.
Mason McLean pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis. He was handed an additional two months behind bars, reduced from a 10-month sentence he would have otherwise received but for his existing jail term.
Reece McLean admitted possession of cannabis and asked for a second offence of possession of cannabis to be taken into consideration in sentencing. Appearing in the dock wearing a blue OEX tracksuit top, he was fined £100.
Sentencing, Recorder Ben Lawrence told Bernard McLean: “You have no qualifications and you have rarely worked. You have adult children and are said to play an active part in their lives. You still smoke cannabis daily, which you say assists your mental health issues.
“The experience of the court is that smoking cannabis generally does not assist mental health. I have read a reference from a man called Peter Duncan. He appears to be a neighbour. He says that you do volunteer locally and describes you as a good person.
“Mason McLean, your counsel relies on your age, the delay in charging you and the fact that you have done courses and are generally spending your time wisely. Reece McLean, your mitigation is, again, your age, the fact that you are lightly convicted, the delay there has been and the fact that you are a carer for your father.”
Returning to the dad, Recorder Lawrence said: “Bernard McLean, you take the main responsibility for the cannabis. It may well be that you are motivated in part by trying to protect your sons. The amount of cash suggests that this was a busy drug supply operation.
“I have considered the imposition guideline and take into account your lack of previous drug supply offences, your low risk to others and your previous good performance on community orders. I take the view that the sentence can be suspended. You need to try help yourself. If you work with probation, it will hopefully stop you coming back to court in the future.”
Mason McLean, who appeared via video link from HMP Berwyn, gave a thumbs up to the judge and said “thank you” as the case was concluded. Appearing in the dock wearing a blue Hugo Boss polo shirt, Bernard McLean added: “Thank you, your honour.”