Two men have gone on trial accused of plotting to murder Celtic manager Neil Lennon and other high-profile supporters of the football club.
Trevor Muirhead (43), and Neil McKenzie (42), are accused of conspiring to assault and kill Lennon, former MSP Trish Godman and lawyer Paul McBride QC, as well as various people in the premises of Irish Nationalist group Cairde na hÉireann in Glasgow, by sending improvised explosive devices to them.
Their trial started today at the High Court in Glasgow.
The pair are accused of sending Lennon a package they believed was an improvised explosive device, capable of igniting and exploding and of causing severe injury and death to another person.
It is further alleged that the package, sent to Lennon at Celtic FC’s training centre in Lennoxtown, East Dunbartonshire, included a plastic bottle containing the substance tri-acetone tri-peroxide, with a wire attached and a plastic bag containing a bag of nails and a watch component.
Mr Muirhead, from Kilwinning in Ayrshire, and Mr McKenzie, from Saltcoats, Ayrshire, are also charged with sending similar devices to Ms Godman at an address in Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, and to Cairde na hÉireann in Glasgow.
It is alleged that the package sent to Mr McBride at Advocates’ Library, Parliament House, Edinburgh, comprised a plastic bottle containing petrol, with wire attached, a plastic glove, nails and a watch component.
Mr Muirhead and Mr McKenzie are charged with sending the devices with the intention that the contents, capable of causing severe injury and death to the recipients, would ignite and explode when opened.
It is also alleged that they bought nails, envelopes, travel bottles and digital sports watches at two shops in Stevenston, Ayrshire, and induced another man to buy cream peroxide.
The pair face an alternative charge that they conspired to cause an explosion “likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property”.
They are accused of sending packages to Lennon, Ms Godman, Mr McBride and Cairde na hÉireann intending to cause such an explosion, in breach of the Explosive Substances Act 1883.
They also face four further charges which include attempting to defeat the ends of justice and sending an item by post to Lennon at Celtic Park on March 3rd or 4th 2011 with the intention to make him believe it was likely to “explode or ignite”.
The pair have denied the charges against them.
PA