VICTIM’S TORTURE ORDEAL
Court told how gang viciously tortured man over £30k cocaine debt
A MAJOR crime gang’s dealings in drugs, firearms, violence and dirty money were revealed by prosecutors yesterday as a court was told of the horrific torture of a man over an unpaid cocaine debt.
The mob snared after a huge probe are “the most sophisticated” encountered by police in Scotland.
Their list of crimes also included a shooting at the family home of a gangland figure as well as a massive arsenal of weapons found hidden in a car.
The details emerged as nine gang members yesterday returned to the High Court in Glasgow.
David Sell, 50, Barry O’Neill, 37, Anthony Woods, 44, Francis Mulligan, 41, Michael Bowman, 30, Mark Richardson, 30, Gerard Docherty, 42, Steven McArdle, 33, and Martyn Fitzsimmons, 37, had earlier pled guilty to various charges.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC addressed the court during a two-hour narrative of the facts of the case, including how drug dealer Robert Allan became a target.
He met O’Neill in March 2013 in Glasgow’s west end in connection with a £45,000 cocaine haul.
Allan later complained about the “quality” of the drugs.
It was agreed with a member of the crime clan he could return some of the drugs – but had to pay £30,000.
But, when he was later unable to stump up the cash, Allan fled Scotland for Barnsley, Yorkshire.
He was traced, however, in March 2015 before being subjected to a horrific attack.
Sell turned up at his door joined initially by two other armed men.
He sat on a couch beside the victim and pointed a handgun at him.
The court heard Allan had his chest, arms and ankle bound together with a chain, leaving him unable to move.
One of the men said to him: “It’s not about the money. It is the f ****** principle.”
Allan was later bundled into a van and driven to a desolate industrial unit in Fauldhouse, West Lothian.
It was there Sell acted as a “guard” in between the victim being brutally beaten.
He was punched and kicked while a fourth man held a gun.
Allan was then whipped with a thick chain, smacked with a metal bar and left with a broken leg after being battered with a 14lb sledgehammer. One of the group said: “Are you all right? Don’t want you f ****** dying. Don’t want to be up on a murder charge.”
With a fifth man now on the scene, the victim was ordered to strip – before being sprayed with a bleach.
The liquid seeped into his painful wounds causing further agony.
The court heard Allan stood “naked, wet and humiliated”.
But the ferocious violence continued, with a hooded Allan – also suffering a fractured cheekbone – then transported to a rural spot near East Kilbride.
Sell was not present – but two of the other men pulled him from a car and pinned him down.
Mr Prentice said: “Robert Allan was then shot three times – twice in one knee and then the other.”
Allan was then dragged to the top of a hill and ordered to roll down.
As the attackers left, members of the public came to the stricken man’s aid.
He was rushed to hospital with a host of serious injuries including gunshot wounds to his knees.
The court heard the most recent update is that Allan needs a crutch to help him walk.
Sell was linked to the crime when it emerged he had made “special admissions” to a then partner.
Sell, of East Kilbride, admitted in court to being involved in abducting and assaulting Allan to his permanent disfigurement and impairment as well as to the danger of his life.
The group were caught as a result of four major investigations into serious and organised crime.
Links to the probes emerged after a large consignment of firearms were found during one operation.
Mr Prentice said: “The organised crime group is the most sophisticated encountered by Police Scotland.
“Their operation centres on the importation of vast quantities of cocaine.
“Their role is as wholesalers to other organised crime groups. They are at the top of the chain in terms of drugs transactions in Scotland and the UK as a whole.”
The court heard the crew were also involved in “firearm trafficking” to “violently enforce their own operation”.
The advocate depute added: “The
You OK? Don’t want you dying. Don’t want to be on a murder charge MOB MEMBER
firepower at the disposal of this crime group is unprecedented in terms of the history of organised crime in Scotland.”
O’Neill meantime pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
As part of the probes, Mr Prentice then told how police focused on premises and cars used by the mob.
These were for the “concealing, packaging and transporting” of cocaine, cash and firearms.
Mr Prentice said: “This was the capacity in which Michael Bowman worked for the group and in doing so facilitated their criminal activities.
“Anthony Woods and Francis Mulligan were both involved in these activities.”
The trio earlier pled guilty to having roles in “serious organised crime”.
Mulligan was described in court as the “electronics expert” for the mob.
Premises across Scotland including Heatheryknowe Farm, near Glasgow, and Hill Street in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, were raided.
The court was told the gang even had the cheek to get a “full rates rebate” at some.
The mob also used stolen highperformance cars, including two £85,000 Audi RS6 motors, as well as a £30,000 Volkswagen Golf.
Police believed they were to be used as “getaway” vehicles which would then be burnt out.
They used “distinctive encrypted” mobile phones to communicate.
Disguises such as fake facial hair and wigs were also found.
The hearing was told the group used “counter surveillance and antisurveillance tactics”.
This included specialist “signal jammers”.
Mr Prentice: “It became apparent to police that the group were conscious of surveillance and police activity and were employing covert and anti-surveillance tactics.”
A shooting at the home of Allan Kelbie in Ratho, Edinburgh, was also investigated by police in September last year.
The court heard gang member Gerard Docherty “discharged bullets from a firearm” into the conservatory of the cottage.
Kelbie was at home at the time with his ex-partner, two children, his mother and sister.
Mr Prentice said: “He (Docherty) took up a vantage point in the neighbouring garden standing among foliage and behind a three-foot high boundary wall.”
As Kelbie sat down, he heard “loud cracking sounds”. He then got his mum to press a panic alarm.
Docherty was snared after DNA linked him to the scene. However, he denied any knowledge of the shooting.
Detectives made a discovery of a huge haul of deadly firearms at a lock-up in Glasgow’s Anniesland earlier this year.
They were hidden in an “engineered compartment” of the rear bumper of a Honda CRV car.
The consignment included Glocks, a Beretta, sub-machine guns, a grenade and bullets.
McArdle was caught with a Glock handgun at a house in Wishaw in August last year.
In January this year, Richardson was held after a similar weapon was found hidden in a car in Glasgow’s Baillieston.
Former army war veteran turned gun-runner Fitzsimmons also had a Glock and ammunition, as well as hiding £36,000 of dirty money.
Judge Lord Beckett remanded all nine in custody and deferred sentencing until next month.