Neil Lennon ‘bomb’ plot trial: Jury hears closing speech

THE jury in the trial of two men accused of plotting to murder Celtic manager Neil Lennon and other high-profile supporters of the football club have been hearing the Crown’s closing speech.

Trevor Muirhead, 44, from Kilwinning, and Neil McKenzie, 42, from Saltcoats, both Ayrshire, are alleged to have conspired to kill Mr Lennon, former MSP Trish Godman and the late Paul McBride QC, as well as various people at the premises of republican group Cairde Na hEireann in Glasgow, by sending improvised explosive devices to them.

They also face another charge of dispatching an item to Mr Lennon at Celtic Park with the intention of inducing him or some other person to believe it was likely to explode or ignite and cause injury or damage to property.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between March 1 and April 15 last year.

Both men deny the charges against them.

Advocate depute Tim Niven-Smith invited the jury of 11 women and four men at the High Court in Glasgow to look at the evidence and to conclude that “irrespective of the fact these packages were not viable, they (Muirhead and McKenzie) believed that they were”.

He also said that a “conspiracy arises when two or more persons enter into an agreement to do something which by its very nature is illegal”.

Mr Niven-Smith told jurors: “You are the masters of the facts. The destiny of the accused lies in your hands but you must put out of your mind what will happen to them if you find them guilty or not.”

He also told the jury to treat the evidence heard from individuals such as Mr Lennon and Ms Godman “just like any other person”.