Scotland

A former lawyer using the name of a movie vigilante has been convicted of a dark web murder plot to kill a Scots prosecutor.

Martin Ready targeted Darren Harty and planned to have him gunned down in a "gangland-style execution".

The 41-year-old ex-commercial contracts solicitor had gone to a site called Online Killers Market to try and organise the hit on the Glasgow procurator fiscal.

Ready used the alias Harry Brown - the same name as the main character in the 2009 Michael Caine film, who took it upon himself to get revenge for his only friend being murdered.

Ready told jurors he effectively turned vigilante to try and wipe out crime from his hometown of Coatbridge in Lanarkshire.

He alleged Mr Harty's family ran a bar which was used by criminals to launder dirty money.

The murder would have then “shone a light” and sparked a police probe into other alleged dodgy dealings.

But, Ready claimed he was delusional at the time and believed he was an "evil Jesus" figure.

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Jurors heard how Ready had gone on to the "dark" website, which ultimately turned out to be a front for a lucrative scam.

A total of 0.2913 Bitcoin - valued at £5,071 - was transferred to the administrator of Online Killers Market as "payment" for the "assassination" of Mr Harty.