Convicted killer loses his appeal

William Gage claimed he was the victim of mistaken identity

A man found guilty of murdering a businessman over a drug debt has failed to overturn his conviction.

William Gage, 35, was led to the cells at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh shouting: "It is a travesty".

Defence QC Margaret Scott vowed the fight to clear his name would continue through the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Gage, from Glasgow, was jailed for life after he was convicted of shooting Justin McAlroy in Cambuslang in 2002.

He has continued to protest his innocence, claiming he was the victim of mistaken identity.

Appeal judges were due to give a final decision a month ago but were halted by an outburst from Gage.

He claimed he had not had a fair hearing because his lawyer had let him down.

On Tuesday, the Court of Criminal Appeal rejected an appeal to introduce fresh arguments.

Judge Lord Osborne said: "We have not been persuaded that the quite exceptional reasons we see as necessary have been demonstrated."

Solicitor advocate Jim Keegan represented Gage before being sacked.

He told an earlier hearing the Crown case was "peppered with inconsistencies" and no reasonable jury could have found Gage guilty.

'Staring eyes'

Judge Lady Paton gave the judges' decision on Mr Keegan's original claims.

She agreed the case against Gage was circumstantial but said there was enough to allow the jury to say he was guilty and reject his alibi.

Justin McAlroy, 28, was shot repeatedly as he returned home to his pregnant wife.

Widow Tracey McAlroy later told a trial she would always remember the staring eyes of the hooded assassin.

The trial heard Mr McAlroy was murdered over a £50,000 drug debt.

He was gunned down outside his home in Acacia Way, Cambuslang.

At the end of the trial, Lord Emslie ordered that Gage should serve at least 20 years in jail.