Killer shot man with paintball gun before knife murder

Mark Allison will serve a minimum of 18 years in jail for the murder of Robbie Yuill

A man has been jailed for 18 years after stabbing another man to death in Lanark.

Mark Allison, 46, attacked Robbie Yuill with a paintball gun at a property in Smyllum Road on 2 December 2023.

Allison then stabbed Mr Yuill while the two scuffled on the floor after the paintball shooting. The 33-year-old was later found unconscious and died from his stab wounds.

Allison denied murder during a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, blaming another man before claiming he acted in self-defence.

Allison had told jurors he had known of Mr Yuill for 20 years but there was no history of trouble between them.

He claimed he had gone to the scene after a friend asked for help getting Mr Yuill out of a relative's home, and Allison took his paintball gun with him.

He claimed this was to scare Mr Yuill but not to cause him harm.

Allison told the trial Mr Yuill refused to get out when he asked him to, so he repeatedly shot him with the paintball gun.

He then claimed Mr Yuill got up and lunged at him while apparently holding a black object.

The judge, Lord Stuart, said it was clear Allison had fired the gun at a time when Mr Yuill posed no threat to him.

"With the apparent swiftness you opened fire, I can conclude you went there with the intention of violence," he said.

"You went there with the clear intent to assault Mr Yuill and were reckless to the consequence."

The court heard allegations the men wrestled after Allison again discharged the paintball gun.

Mr Yuill apparently fell down and then left the property. He was later found but emergency services were unable to save him.

'A shocking loss of life'

Prosecutors said Allison had disposed of the paintball gun and went on to stay at two different hotels in Lanarkshire and Dumfries.

He told the trial the first he heard of Mr Yuill's death was via social media and he felt "my world crashing" at that point.

Allison said he knew "police would be looking for him" as he had been in a fight with Mr Yuill which involved a blade.

He claimed he was trying to protect himself when Mr Yuill died and the death was due to him being struck by a knife that still had the sheath on.

However the court heard Allison's DNA was on the covering as well as the handle.

Allison said he was "not aware" of touching either.

Police Scotland Det Ch Insp Laura Sands said Mr Yuill's murder had left his family devastated.

She added: "This was a violent attack which resulted in a shocking loss of life and Allison will now face the consequences of his actions.

"While this conviction cannot change what has happened, I hope it will give Robbie's family and friends some closure."

It was revealed after the verdict that Allison has previous convictions for violence as well as behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.