ONE of four men accused of a murder plot against two former Loyalist terror bosses was secretly bugged allegedly talking about blasting a man right in the ear, a court has been told.
Antoin Duffy, also known as Anton, allegedly made the remark during a car journey from Glasgow to the Ayrshire home of former UDA and UFF boss Sam "Skelly" McCrory.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that Mr Duffy and Martin Hughes drove from Glasgow on October 1, 2013 in a silver Mercedes Jeep and met up in Ayrshire with Paul Sands.
The three men, along with John Gorman, deny conspiring to murder Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair and Mr McCrory.
Advocate depute Paul Kearney, prosecuting, told the jury of 10 woman and five men that the car was bugged and under police surveillance throughout the whole journey.
Extracts of the tapes were played in court while Detective Sergeant Douglas Bryden gave evidence.
Mr Kearney asked Mr Bryden: "Do we hear Paul Sands say: 'There are so many places you could hit this guy. It's unbelievable. I mean I could go and and chap his door right now and we could probably put him in the boot if three of us could manage it, know what I mean?'"
The police officer replied: "Yes."
The prosecutor also asked: "Do we hear Antoin Duffy say that they need a 'sawn-off and a revolver as the back-up'." Mr Bryden replied: "Yes."
Mr Kearney asked the witness about an extract taken as the Jeep they were driving in approached the street in which Mr McCrory lives.
Mr Kearney asked: "Is Sands is heard to say: 'This is the road he walks every single day. You can't go wrong. It is a straight road.'"
Mr Bryden said: "That's correct."
The prosecutor then asked: "The man they have been talking about has the nickname Skelly." The officer said: "Yes."
According to the tapes there is a discussion about cameras at a nearby school and shops. The three speak of the best vantage points to get their target and there is talk of keeping away from a nearby school.
The policeman also agreed that Mr Duffy said: "We'll just drive up to him and f***ing jump out and blast him in his ear. There 's an AK that could possibly be getting made available for us with armour piercing rounds.
"We want to get the fella out the blue and not have the other running scared."
Mr Kearney asked Mr Bryden: "What is an AL?" He replied: "It's an assault rifle."
Under cross-examination by Derek Ogg QC, representing Mr Duffy, Mr Bryden accepted that no crime was committed in the tapes. He also agreed there was no suggestion that there were any weapons in the Jeep.
Mr Bryden agreed that in the tape Mr Duffy spoke of being off his face on Tramadol during the covert recording. Mr Ogg told the court that Mr Duffy had been so sick that he could hardly move or the next three or four days.
Mr Bryden said in evidence that he and colleagues had followed the Mercedes Jeep from the Life of Reilly pub in Dixon Avenue, Glasgow, to an address in Ayrshire.
He told the court that Mr Hughes was driving, Mr Duffy was in the front passenger seat and they picked up Mr Sands in Ayrshire.
Mr Duffy, 39 - also known as Anton - Mr Hughes, 36, Mr Sands, 31 and John Gorman, 58 , deny conspiring to murder Mr Adair and Mr McCrory - once high profile figures in the loyalist organisation and its military wing the Ulster Freedom Fighters
It is also claimed Mr Duffy and Mr Gorman were allegedly part of a plan to murder the governor of Barlinnie jail Derek McGill in a car bomb attack. Three other men - Craig Convery, 37, Gary Convery, 34, and Gordon Brown, 29, - deny organised crime charges.
The trial before Lady Scott continues.
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