Two found guilty of conspiracy to murder

A FORMER £175-an-hour business consultant and a taxi controller were yesterday convicted of conspiracy to murder after being caught by police with an arsenal of weapons.

Armed police swooped on a flat where Martin Black, 33, was living in Colinton Road, Edinburgh, and recovered weapons including knives, a samurai sword, crossbow, gun and ammunition, along with balaclavas and gloves.

The former financial adviser was detained along with taxi controller Frank Doris, a man who, it was discovered, signed off texts to an acquaintance with "Murder Inc". Both men were convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday of conspiring to murder businessman Kevin Martin, 38, between 1 June and 6 July, 2008.

They were found guilty of having a car with a false number plate and possessing weapons to be used in the assault and murder of Mr Martin.

It was alleged that Black enlisted Doris to protect him and help kill Mr Martin and that Doris, of Albert Street, Edinburgh, moved into the flat in Colinton Road.

Temporary judge Norman Ritchie, QC, deferred sentence on both men until next month for the preparation of reports and ordered that both Black and Doris be remanded in custody.