A convicted murderer was yesterday ordered to hand over almost £160,000 in crime profits.

A convicted murderer was yesterday ordered to hand over almost £160,000 in crime profits.

Cannabis grower James Duncan ordered the killing of a man after putting a price of £30,000 on his head.

Victor Yuill, 47, was shot at point-blank range as he begged for his life in his salvage yard in Lanarkshire.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, Duncan, 61, was later found guilty of the murder, even though he was not at the scene of the shooting on January 28, 2007.

Trial judge Lord Carloway jailed Duncan, from East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, for life and ordered he should serve at least 17-and-a-half years.

Duncan was also convicted of being concerned in the supply of cannabis between 2005 and 2007 and was given a concurrent five-year jail term.

The Crown served Duncan with papers seeking to seize crime profits of £298,000.

He was brought back to the High Court yesterday as the confiscation process continued and a judge was told a settlement had been reached.

Advocate depute Barry Divers asked Lord Hardie to record the proceeds of Duncan's "general criminal conduct" at £740,075 and sought a confiscation order to be made in the sum of £159,248 against Duncan.

Lord Hardie made an order for the figure and gave Duncan six months to pay the sum to Lanark Sheriff Court.