A MAN accused of shooting a security firm boss walked free yesterday after a judge ruled that identification evidence was insufficient for a jury to convict him.
The judge, Ian Peebles, QC, found 43-year-old Joseph Lindsay not guilty of trying to kill George Walker, 42, with two hits from a sawn-off shotgun on 28 August, 2005.
The attack happened a year before an incident in which gunmen shot at Mr Walker
and his son, George Walker jnr, 20, through the living-room window of their home at Birgidale Terrace, Castlemilk, Glasgow.
His son, who was known as Junior, died and Mr Walker was injured.
Three men, John Smith, 23, Thomas Campling, 36, and Marcello Pacitti, 26, were convicted of murdering Junior Walker and were sentenced to life in prison.
Smith, who was the organiser of the gangland hit, and Campling, his right-hand man, were told they must serve at least 25 years each before being eligible for parole.
Pacitti was ordered to serve at least 15 years. Another accused, Alan Burns, 41, was cleared of murder, but convicted of culpable homicide and was imprisoned for ten years.
At the start of this week's trial, Mr Lindsay, of Hoddam Avenue, Castlemilk, denied that he was the man who had attempted to murder Mr Walker near his home in August 2005.
The jury at the trial in the High Court in Glasgow heard that when Mr Walker and his daughter Nicola, 18, gave statements to the police, they claimed they had not seen the would-be killer.
When they gave evidence, however, they had named and identified Mr Lindsay.
After hearing legal representations from Mr Lindsay's lawyer, Jim Wallace, Mr Peebles said the evidence of identification was critical to the case.
The judge described the evidence as "wholly unsatisfactory" and ruled that no reasonable jury would have found Mr Lindsay guilty.
During his evidence, Mr Walker wore a bulletproof vest, as he had during the previous trial in February.
Mr Walker told Kathleen Harper, prosecuting, that just before the attempt on his life, a blue van had followed his four-wheel drive vehicle at speed and twice collided with the back of it in an attempt to drive him off the road.
A high-powered Audi car then began to pursue him as he neared his home, tailgating him all the way.
Mr Walker told the court that he phoned his son and his daughter, who were out on the street as he pulled up round the corner from his home. Mr Walker described how, as he got out of his 4x4 armed with a crook lock, he headed towards the Audi, shouting at the driver.
He said: "When I saw the barrels of a sawn-off shotgun being raised and heard my son shouting, 'It's a gun they've got, dad', I turned round and ran.
"The first shot hit me all the way down the left side of my back and the second shot hit my car and some of my body."
Mr Walker told the court that he had discharged himself from hospital the next day, after receiving treatment for his injuries.
The full article contains 533 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
