Hitmen guilty of gun attack in city

A MAN was an inch from death after being shot in the back in an attempted gangland assassination outside his Edinburgh home.

Peter Simpson, 45, was sprayed with five bullets from an automatic pistol by a gunman wearing a balaclava, but only one round hit him, the High Court in Edinburgh heard today.

Another balaclava-wearing accomplice threatened him with a sawn-off shotgun but the weapon was never fired. The daylight attack in Granton came just two months after Mr Simpson had been tipped off by police that he could be in danger.

The two would-be assassins sped off on a motorbike and a bleeding Mr Simpson was able to make his way to hospital.

In court today, advocate depute Alan Mackay, prosecuting, said doctors found that if the .25 slug had gone an inch further it would have hit Mr Simpson's aorta, and damage to such a major blood vessel would probably have killed him.

The bullet is still lodged in Mr Simpson's back because of fears that trying to remove it could damage his spine, added Mr Mackay.

In court today Marc Webley, 19, of Wardieburn, Edinburgh, and James Tant, 21, of West Pilton, Edinburgh, appeared from custody to admit attempting to murder Mr Simpson in Granton Terrace on the afternoon of January 24.

They also faced a charge of attempting to murder another 35-year-old man eight months earlier in the same street.

It was alleged that petrol bombs and crossbows had been used in the gang attack before the man was shot in the head.

Not guilty pleas to the alleged attack in May 2004 were accepted today.

Mr Mackay told judge Lord Philip that there was a history of bad feeling between Webley and Mr Simpson but the reasons were "somewhat unclear".

When Webley finished an earlier sentence in Polmont Young Offenders' Institution in November 2004 police sent Mr Simpson a letter warning of his impending release.

The court heard that on the morning of January 24, two men wearing balaclavas were seen to ride off on a green Kawasaki motorbike from near Webley's Wardieburn home.

They were seen in the area during the afternoon and the pillion passenger was trying to hide a shotgun under his track-suit top.

The same motorcycle and hooded riders were seen near Mr Simpson's home.

Mr Mackay told how Mr Simpson got off a bus and began walking towards his house.

"He noticed there were a number of youths standing on street corners and it appeared to him they were monitoring his movements," the prosecutor said.

He was then chased by Tant who was brandishing a sawn-off shotgun. As he turned into Granton Crescent he was confronted by Webley.

"Webley started shooting at him with a handgun and Mr Simpson was chased into the common stair at his flat by Webley who fired five rounds," added Mr McKay.

The court heard that neither of the guns were found but police experts examined cartridge cases and bullet fragments and concluded that the handgun had been a .25 calibre semi-automatic pistol.

Tant told police he had borrowed the shotgun but refused to say who from.

Mr Mackay said when police caught up with Mr Simpson in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary he refused to make a formal complaint.

Three weeks later detectives were told of a tape recording of a telephone call in which they were able to hear the voices of Webley and Tant making references to the shooting incident.

The two were arrested by armed police at a house in Edinburgh.

Lord Philip called for background reports and ordered Webley and Tant to remain in custody, pending sentence later this month.