Salvage yard owner 'shot in face'

Victor Yuill's body was discovered at a yard he owned in Lanarkshire

A man who admitted killing a businessman at a salvage yard in Lanarkshire has told a jury that another man pulled the trigger.

Scott Percy who earlier pled guilty to the culpable homicide of Victor Yuill, said John Graham shot the salvage yard owner in the face at point blank range.

He was giving evidence at the trial of Mr Graham, 21, Russell Dewar, 34, and James Duncan, 60.

They all deny the murder of Mr Yuill at Woodside Yard in Rigside on 28 January.

Percy, 29, was also originally accused of the murder, but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to culpable homicide.

He told the High Court in Edinburgh he was present when Mr Yuill, 47, was shot and he said John Graham had shaken hands with the father-of-three moments before the gun attack.

He said they had driven to Rigside in a Mercedes car.

The guy was begging for his life. I remember him saying 'Leave me alone. I have no done nothing' Scott Percy Trial witness

He said: "John said he would be back in a moment and got out the car and was out standing speaking to this guy."

Percy told the court that he did not know who the man was.

He said the conversation between them seemed to last for five to 10 minutes and then John Graham came back to the car.

Percy said: "He took the gun from the back seat and said 'Right, come on'. He wanted me to get out the car with him."

Advocate depute Kevin McCallum asked Percy if he knew the gun was loaded.

He replied: "I don't believe I knew it was loaded until the thing went off."

He said they walked down into the yard and "the guy" came out of an office.

He said: "John swung the gun up. The guy started running down further into the yard.

Shot in face

"I can't remember if John started running, but the first shot went off and the guy fell."

Percy said he believed that the man was lying on his back and he had assumed he had been hit.

He added: "John approached the guy and the guy was begging for his life. I remember him saying 'Leave me alone. I have no done nothing'.

The 29-year-old told the court: "John shot the guy in the face."

The prosecutor asked if he was quite clear that happened and Percy said: "I know that happened."

John Graham, Russell Dewar and James Duncan all deny murdering Mr Yuill.

They are also accused of conspiring to murder him and two others - John Loughlin, now deceased, and Andrew Patton.

They also face charges of producing and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

The trial before Lord Carloway continues.