SHOT IN THE FACE
Drug dealer puppy farmer attacked at point-blank range in van by gunman
A HITMAN shot a puppy farmer in the face at close range as he sat in his van. Convicted drug dealer Scott Bennett, 37, was waiting in a car park when the gunman pulled up in a BMW. Bennett drove off despite horrific injuries and was last night in hospital. A source told us he is “connected in criminal circles”.
A CONVICTED drug dealer turned puppy farmer was shot in the face at close range as he sat in his van outside a vets.
A gunman in a hi-vis vest pulled up alongside Scott Bennett in a car and blasted him through a window.
Police believe the shooting, which happened in the vets surgery car park, was a targeted hit.
Bennett, 37, suffered serious facial injuries but managed to drive to a nearby Indian restaurant to get help.
The shooting happened in the car park of Taylor Vets in Rutherglen, near Glasgow, at about 5.30pm on Monday.
Bennett raised the alarm at the Blue Rupee restaurant and was taken to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
His condition yesterday was described as stable.
The light-coloured BMW 3 Series Coupe used by the hitman was found burned-out on a path near Cathkin Braes Golf Club at about 7pm on Monday.
Yesterday, a police cordon remained around the vets car park.
Detective Inspector Alan MacDonald said: “I would like to reassure members of the public that we believe this was a targeted attack and extensive inquiries are under way to establish why this happened and who is responsible.”
Bennett was jailed for 15 months after he was caught with 6kg of cannabis in his car in 2015.
In May, the Record revealed that after he got out of prison, Bennett moved into puppy farming, running luxury £180,000 kennels at his home.
He built a massive kennel complex near Strathaven, Lanarkshire, for the dog-breeding business.
But Bennett caught the attention of the authorities after erecting the deluxe kennels at his farmhouse without planning permission – and without having a licence to breed or sell dogs.
Speaking to the Daily Record this year, Bennett said: “I am a dog lover and I have been breeding dogs since I was 19.”
He added: “We all have a history and I am trying to put mine behind me. I spend 24 hours a day on my farm, trying to sort our future. I am not a criminal.”
Bennett tried to get retrospective planning permission for the development. But he has been told he has no chance of getting approval because of the “industrial” scale of the building.
We revealed that a meeting was called at South Lanarkshire Council amid fears that a serious drug dealer was moving into large-scale puppy breeding.
It was attended by licensing bosses, planners and representatives from Police Scotland and the Scottish SPCA.
We were given details of Bennett’s drug-dealing past after launching our War on Puppy Farms investigation.
While there is no suggestion that Bennett has committed further offences, the Scottish SPCA, Police Scotland and HMRC are on high alert over known links between crime groups and puppy farming.
A source told the Record: “Scott Bennett is well connected in criminal circles and he has built his farmhouse into a fortress, with CCTV and electronic gates.
“When he got out of jail, he set about building up his kennels.
“He got himself into a planning pickle because his application made him a person of interest for the council – and they decided the kennels were far too large to be considered a domestic facility.
“If he tries to get a licence as a dog breeder or seller, how could a guy who recently did a jail term for drug running be considered a fit and proper person to carry out a licensed trade that deals with the public?”
Yesterday, police asked witnesses or anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.
DI MacDonald added: “I would appeal to anyone who was in the vicinity near to Taylors Veterinary Practice between 5.15pm and 5.45pm, or Cathkin Road near to the golf club between 5.15pm and 7.15pm, to contact police if they saw or heard anything at all suspicious.
“I would also ask any motorists with dashcams who were in either area to please check their footage in case they have captured anything which could be of significance.
“This crime will understandably be causing concern to the community and there will be additional patrols in the area to provide reassurance.
“I would urge anyone with information or concerns to approach officers on patrol, who will be happy to assist you.”