Three members of a Scottish gang are behind bars after a deadly campaign of murder and violence – including the cold-blooded killing of Perthshire mechanic Rafal Lyko whose body was discovered in a burnt out car.
Barry Harvey, Thomas Guthrie and Darren Owen were found guilty after a mammoth 12-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Owen, 23, was convicted of murdering 36-year-old Mr Lyko in 2019.
The victim’s remains were found in a burned-out Mercedes in Blantyre, Lanarkshire.
A damaged pistol was found inside the vehicle.
Owen was also told by the judge to expect life behind bars.
Gangland shootings
Former footballer-turned-assassin Harvey was convicted of gunning down gym boss Gary More, 32, on the doorstep of his home in Airdrie, Lanarkshire on September 6 2018.
The 35-year-old was paid for the hit, which saw him splash out on a shiny new set of “Turkey teeth”.
Harvey was also later involved in the murder bid of drug dealer Scott Bennett, 43, who was shot outside a vets in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire on December 3 of that year.
Owen was also convicted of being part of the same shooting.
Guthrie – already serving a life sentence for being the getaway driver in the More killing – was convicted for his role in the Bennett attack.
The 27-year-old was separately found guilty of the brutal slashing in the attempted murder of lawyer Joe Shields, 68, outside his office close to Glasgow Sheriff Court on July 19 2018.
Meanwhile, co-accused Thomas Wilson, 26, was found not guilty of murdering Mr Lyko.
Murder linked to drug debts
Judge Lord Clark told the trio: “By the verdict of the jury, you have been convicted of very serious offences.”
Harvey did not attend the verdict due to ill health however the judge stated: “He can be made aware that the sentence for murder is fixed by life imprisonment.”
The High Court in Glasgow heard that Polish national Mr Lyko was murdered and left in a burning car which prosecutor Lorraine Glancy stated was related to “drugs and drug debt.”
Mr Lyko told his cousin that he was to return to Scotland to be set up with a job in Valencia to work off the debt.
On February 11 2019 – the day of his murder – Mr Lyko drove south from his family’s home at Auchterarder in his mother’s bronze-coloured Mercedes and was picked up in a stolen Mercedes GLE at Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, at around 7.30pm.
Mr Lyko was then driven to Blantyre, Lanarkshire, where he met his fate.
Miss Glancy said: “Eleven minutes later the car was ignited. Mr Lyko was shot once in the vehicle that was recovered.”
Victim had criminal history
Residents had raised the alarm after hearing a loud bang in the area.
Mr Lyko, who was 36 when he died, previously spent time at Perth Prison over his links to another Polish man convicted in connection with a hit on a Scottish businessman.
Mr Lyko was jailed for four months in 2012 for smuggling a spy phone into prison for hitman’s fixer Deyan Nikolov to use while he was on trial for murder.
Nikolov had the tiny smartphone –which looked like an ordinary digital watch – brought to him while he was remanded at maximum security HMP Perth.
Nikolov was subsequently jailed for a minimum of 18 years for the part he played in the fatal shooting of businessman Mohammed Nadeem Siddique in Glenrothes in October 2010.
Neighbours at Mr Lyko’s family home in Auchtarder said he had moved to Pruszkow in Poland after his release from prison.
Killings were ‘senseless’ and ‘targeted’
Speaking after the conviction, Detective Superintendent Andrew Patrick said: “Each of these serious incidents were challenging enquiries to work on individually and our officers were meticulous in going through every detail in what was an incredibly protracted investigation.”
He added: “The violence involved in each of these cases, which resulted in the death of two men, is absolutely senseless.
“Although these were all targeted attacks, these individuals showed no regard for the communities and families affected.”
Sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month at the High Court in Glasgow.
All three men were remanded in custody meantime.
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