Businessman survived three bids to murder him, court told

The High Court in Edinburgh has heard that Tony Demarco, 63, was left with a bullet lodged in his cheek after being shot at close range as he walked to his silver Mercedes.

But as the trial of four men accused of plotting his murder moved into its final stages, advocate depute John Scullion, prosecuting, invited jurors to draw a chilling conclusion from evidence of mobile phone calls.

Mr Scullion said the phone records showed that alleged hit-man Jamie Robertson, 25, had hung around near Mr Demarco's home in Danderhall, Midlothian, a week before the shooting.

A plan to kill the businessman then had not succeeded, said Mr Scullion as Mr Demarco was saved because he was not driving his distinctive car.

And six days after the shooting at the Maybury Casino on the outskirts of Edinburgh Robertson travelled to Danderhall again.

Robertson claimed he wanted to tell Mr Demarco how he had been conned into giving a mystery man called "Kev" a lift to the casino and had "freaked" when the other man pulled a gun.

Robertson claimed he had fled because the Danderhall house was ringed by police.

But Mr Scullion said this was one of "a series of preposterous lies" that Robertson told.

The prosecutor said a box of cartridges – matching a spent shell found outside the casino – which police found hidden in Robertson's sister's house, had been hidden in the attic because Robertson was "determined to finish the job he was hired to do".

The shooting happened after a hot-tempered meeting between the men at the Maybury Casino, the court was told.

Four men are accused of conspiracy to murder and attempting to murder Mr Demarco.

The trial continues with closing speeches expected today.