Gambler son of gun attack victim is locked up for £1m scam

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard Antony Demarco, 37, borrowed money he could not repay which resulted in his father being shot. Incredibly Tony Demarco, 64, survived after being blasted at point blank range outside the Gala Maybury Casino in Edinburgh in June 2008.

At the High Court in Edinburgh in January this year Imran Sakur, 35, Jamie Robertson, 25, Craig Kelbie, 35, and Francis McGlone, 39, were jailed for a total of 43 years for their parts in the plot to kill Mr Demarco. Prosecutors said the motive for the attack was debts Sakur owed Mr Demarco. They claimed Sakur suffered in a failed 1.5million property deal and lost 40,000 gambling. Both men denied this, but witnesses named the victim as Sakur's creditor.

Giving evidence at the trial Mr Demarco told how he still has the bullet lodged in his cheek.

The court heard he was walking towards his silver Mercedes when he heard a bang and felt a thud behind his right ear. At hospital Mr Demarco was told he had a gunshot wound to the back of his right ear and it had lodged in his cheek.

His son dad-of-two Demarco was a self employed asset finance broker who held a licence issued by the Office of Fair Trading at the time of the offence. He formed the fraudulent scheme by applying for loans secured against assets that did not exist and as an approved asset finance broker he made and submitted false applications for credit loans.

Fiscal depute Gerard Drugan told the court Demarco was snared by a fraud investigator at the Royal Bank of Scotland and was then investigated by Lothian and Borders Police. The court heard when he was interviewed he made full and frank admissions to the police.

Demarco, of Toscana Court, Danderhall, Midlothian, admitted carrying out the scam and obtaining credit loans and commissions amounting to 1,000,000 between 25 July, 2008, and 31 July, 2009, at his home, Ravenscroft Gardens, Edinburgh, Lombard Finance, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, Hitachi Capital Finace, Middlesex, Royal Bank of Scotland, Drum Street, Edinburgh, Nationwide Bank, St John's Road, Edinburgh, Bank of Scotland, Liberton Drive, and elsewhere.

Demarco's defence agent Joe Mooney said: "Unfortunately he made the decision to borrow some money from the money launderers in January 2008, shortly before his father was shot and he could not repay that.

Various threats were made culminating in the shooting of his father in the head. He almost knew he would be caught. If his father had not been shot he would not have become involved in these activities and trying to repay the money launderers. He had always been involved in gambling but he had never had to resort to anything like this or anything improper. He gambled from the proceeds of what he earned in his business. The family have had to rally around to deal with the implications for his father, who was really an innocent in all of this."

Mr Mooney added Demarco was being pursued through the civil courts for the money owed but was bankrupt. Substantial sums of money were repaid subsequent to the shooting, the lawyer said. He appealed for Demarco, who the court heard is attending Gamblers Anonymous, to be placed on bail and said he had adhered to the conditions so far including surrendering his passport and signing on at a police station every Friday. He also submitted a reference letter from Demarco's employers when he first started his high flying career in asset finance as well as from the family solicitor.

The court heard Demarco left the Bank of Scotland in 2004 to set up himself and was given a direct line of credit from Lombard and Royal Bank of Scotland. Mr Mooney described him as having "something of a reputation in the industry".

Sheriff James Scott refused bail and deferred sentence for background reports until later this month. Demarco, a first offender, was remanded in custody.

His father declined to comment as he left court.