Hitman to serve at least 26 years in jail for Hogmanay shooting

A paid assassin who carried out a gangland hit on a man outside a pub on Hogmanay will serve a minimum of 26 years in prison.

Grant Hunter, 34, fatally shot Marc Webley, 38, outside the Anchor Inn in Granton, Edinburgh, just after 11.30pm on December 31, 2023.

Hunter pulled up outside the busy pub in a stolen Hyundai SUV and wearing a balaclava, and he was approached by Mr Webley and his friend Stewart Pearson.

CCTV footage captured Mr Webley showing his mobile phone to Hunter, who then removed his mask and opened fire, hitting Mr Pearson, who was injured.

Mr Webley, who could be seen on CCTV holding a knife, ran for his life but was shot in the back.

Despite attempts by pub staff and customers to give him CPR, he was pronounced dead in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in the early hours of January 1, 2024.

Mr Webley, who was suspected by police to be involved in organised crime, had been warned his life was in danger and he was wearing a stab vest when he was shot.

Hunter pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Webley and the attempted murder of another man when the case called at the High Court in Edinburgh last month.

At the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, Hunter was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 26 years behind bars.

Two co-accused were also sentenced after admitting attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Handing down his sentence, Judge Lord Mulholland told Hunter he carried out “a planned murder for financial gain, committed in the furtherance of serious organised crime”.

He told him he had fired four shots at Mr Webley and hit him in the back, causing a “catastrophic” injury that killed him.

He went on: “The fact you fired four shots at him showed beyond any doubt you wanted him dead.”

Lord Mulholland added: “It is beyond sinister that you wanted your victim to see your face, which is another aggravating factor.”

He said the fact Hunter revealed his face had been his “undoing”, as it enabled the police to identify him from CCTV footage and arrest him four days later.

The judge told him: “You have left a mother without her son, and two boys without their father.

“You have visited a life sentence of grief and loss on them.

“You may not have any remorse for what you did, but your cowardly actions will haunt you for the rest of your life.”

He added: “You may never be released.”

Hunter wore a black sweatshirt in court and stood with his arms folded at the beginning of the sentencing remarks, and the judge had to pause to ask him to unfold them.

Hunter replied “Why?”, at which Lord Mulholland repeated: “I am asking you to unfold your arms.

“Show some respect for the court.”

Hunter showed no reaction as the sentence was handed down, but he grinned and gave a thumbs up to the public gallery as he was being led out of the dock.

Earlier, Hunter’s lawyer Tony Lenehan KC told the court: “I acknowledge at the outset the offending of the sort captured in this guilty plea does not lend itself to mitigation.

“He is still a relatively young man but he knows will pay a heavy price.”

Hunter’s girlfriend Emma McVie, 27, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for attempting to pervert the course of justice, after she cleaned the inside of the stolen Hyundai and cleaned their clothes.

Co-accused Gary Robertson, 22, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years after he admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by helping to dispose of the handgun used in the killing.

The murder weapon has never been found.

Moira Orr, procurator fiscal at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “Marc Webley’s murder was a targeted shooting carried out by Grant Hunter on Hogmanay during a time when many people would have been out celebrating.

“This shocking incident cost one man his life and endangered the life of another, who also suffered a gunshot wound.

“Overall, Hunter’s actions put the lives of the public in serious danger.

“We want to reassure the public that we are committed to ensuring those involved in committing offences of this nature are brought to justice.

“This conviction should send a strong message to others involved in this kind of criminal behaviour – you cannot hide from justice, and we will use all the tools available to us as we strive to keep the communities we serve safe.”