THREE 19-year-old cousins were yesterday cleared of attempting to

murder two men.

At the High Court in Glasgow Mr John Nisbet and Mr Shaun Nisbet, both

of Laurel Drive, Craigneuk, near Motherwell, and Mr Stephen Nisbet, of

Main Street, Bogside, Newmains, had lodged special defences of alibi.

The court heard how Mr John Murdoch, of Gateside Road, Craigneuk, had

his spinal chord severed, leaving him a quadraplegic, and his knee

smashed in the shooting.

The Judge, Lord Penrose, directed the jury to find Stephen and Shaun

Nisbet not guilty of attempting to murder Mr Murdoch because of lack of

corroborative evidence.

The jury found Mr John Nisbet not guilty by a majority of shooting and

attempting to murder Mr Murdoch.

The Judge also directed the jury to find the three accused not guilty

of attempting to murder Mr Murdoch's brother, William, 30, outside his

house in Golfhill Road, Craigneuk, on December 14 last.

Mr Murdoch told Mr Edward Bowen, QC, prosecuting, he was leaving his

brother's home about 9.30pm and he saw Mr John Nisbet pointing a gun at

him.

Then bullets hit him on the neck and left knee, and he found himself

lying face down on the ground.

Mr William Murdoch said he ran from the house after hearing the shots,

and was shot in the hand. He chased the gunman, but lost him. He said he

could not identify the gunman in court.