Neil Lennon trial: ‘Father asked me to buy peroxide’ says son of accused

THE son of a man accused of conspiring to murder Celtic manager Neil Lennon and other high-profile supporters of the club was asked to buy peroxide by his father, a court has heard.

Paul Millan, who used to be known as Paul Muirhead, was giving evidence at the trial of his father, Trevor Muirhead, and co-accused Neil McKenzie.

Muirhead, 43, from Kilwinning, Ayrshire, and McKenzie, 42, from Saltcoats, Ayrshire, are accused of plotting to kill Mr Lennon, former MSP Trish Godman, the late QC Paul McBride and various members of the Irish Republican group Cairde Na Heireann, in Glasgow, by sending improvised explosive devices to them between 1 March and 12 May last year.

At the High Court in Glasgow yesterday, Mr Millan admitted he had lied in his original police statement when he told officers that he did not know McKenzie.

He said he told police at the time he had lied because “he didn’t want to get dragged in” to the charges his father and McKenzie were facing.

Mr Millan, 23, has a level one qualification in hairdressing and holds a trade card with Salon Services, which gives him discounts on hair and beauty products. He told the court he was contacted by his father to ask him to buy peroxide.

Mr Millan said he believed it was for his half-sister, Gemma Muirhead, as she “does her friends’ hair sometimes”.

Mr Millan said he dropped the products off at his father’s house in Innerwood Road, despite the fact that Ms Muirhead did not live there.

Advocate depute Tim Niven-Smith put it to Mr Millan that Gemma Muirhead was allergic to the chemical, to which he replied: “I didn’t know that.”

Gordon Jackson, QC, representing Muirhead, read out part of Mr Millan’s police statement, given on 12 May, 2011, which said: “My stepsister Gemma Muirhead, who is 16, does hairdressing as well. She does friends’ hair and dyes people’s hair for extra cash.”

The case continues.