Man handed 10-year prison term for crossbow attempted murder

A 53-year-old who shot another man with a crossbow in a park in an attempted murder has been jailed for 10 years.

Alan Bruce grabbed the weapon and chased Richard Murison, who had knocked on his door in the middle of the night.

He caught up with him at Eric Hendrie Park in Aberdeen and shot him with a crossbow bolt, leaving him severely injured, and then left the scene without checking whether he needed an ambulance.

Mr Murison needed surgery for a punctured gall bladder and spent four days in hospital following the attack on November 11, 2023.

Bruce was found guilty of attempted murder following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen in July, and was sentenced by Lord Renucci at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday.

At the trial he was also found guilty of illegal possession of a firearm, namely a stun gun disguised as a torch which was found at a property in Tay Road, Aberdeen, on November 11, 2023.

Lord Renucci sentenced Bruce to 10 years behind bars for the attempted murder, and five years for possessing the stun gun, with the sentences to run concurrently.

He told him only a “significant custodial sentence” was appropriate.

Lord Renucci said: “You decided to leave your house armed with a loaded crossbow, chased after your victim and deliberately shot him with that crossbow.

“It’s more by luck than judgment that you are not being sentenced today for murder rather than attempted murder.

“After that you simply turned round and went back to your house, leaving your victim.

“Even though you were unsure of his injuries you did not call an ambulance.”

He added: “The writer of the criminal justice social work says you have now expressed some remorse and that is at least something.”

Bruce committed the attempted murder while on bail and the judge said that six months of the 10-year sentence was due to the bail aggravation.

Defence advocate John Brannigan, representing Bruce, said his client has a long-standing issue with drugs which has blighted his life.

Lord Renucci warned Bruce: “It’s clear that drugs played a part in this offence and unless you address your drug problems it’s not likely this will be the last sentence you receive.”