Sentencing postponed for man who plotted to kill lawyer on dark web
Martin Ready denied a charge and lodged a special defence of lacking criminal responsibility, but this was rejected by the jury.
A man who plotted to kill a prosecutor on the dark web while identifying as “evil Jesus” has had his sentencing postponed again due to confusion over whether a hospital bed is available, a court heard.
Martin Ready, 42, was found guilty of attempted conspiracy to murder Darren Harty, 37, by using cryptocurrency to pay for a hitman on the dark web.
Between May 2021 and September 2022, Ready paid £5,071.24 in Bitcoin and sent instructions for Mr Harty to be shot to a dark web site called Online Killers Market, which transpired to be a scam.
During the trial at the High Court in Glasgow, Ready claimed he suffered from delusions that he was “evil Jesus” and believed the murder would expose organised crime in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, where both men were from.
The men knew each other from a pub owned by Mr Harty’s family in Coatbridge, the court heard.
Ready denied the charge and lodged a special defence of lacking criminal responsibility, but this was rejected by the jury.
The 42-year-old, who is being held at HMP Barlinnie, was due to be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, but the hearing was postponed due to uncertainty about whether any beds were available in the Rowanbank Clinic in Glasgow.
Defending, Brian McConnachie KC, said there was a lack of clarity over the availability of beds, but added the criteria for admission was already met with two reports issued.
Mr McConnachie said: “This case was continued until today with anticipation that Your Ladyship would be able to impose interim compulsion order. What as I understood it was that we were waiting for a bed (to become) available.”
He said that a letter had been sent “which nobody has yet seen” from a doctor in the unit, and described the intervention as “unhelpful”.
Mr McConnachie added: “At the moment we seem to be going round in circles. The intervention of the doctor has been somewhat unhelpful. I know Your Ladyship’s clerk has been endeavouring as best she can to find out what the situation is, but has been met with silence rather than yes or no.
“We simply don’t know the answer to if he can be admitted to Rowanbank in seven days.”
Judge Lady Hood said: “Unfortunately we are not in a position for the court to make an order. We have two reports and that meets that part, but what we will need is confirmation a bed is available.
“Rowanbank has been identified as an appropriate unit. We simply don’t know one way or another as to availability of a bed. The suggestion is there will be a report or document from a doctor.
“The concern perhaps is it will go beyond answering the straightforward question of if a bed is available.”
She added: “We are only going to continue to determine if a bed is available. I am not going to ask for a report.
“As Mr McConnachie says, the doctor was not asked to prepare a report. I won’t order that. I think given there is some sort of formal letter to be prepared it would be of great benefit for us to see that letter.”
Sentencing was postponed until January 28 at the High Court in Edinburgh.
