Scottish UDA murder plot trial jury to reconvene on Friday

Former UDA leader Johnny Adair was the alleged target of a murder plot

The jury in the trial of three men accused of planning to murder two former UDA leaders in Scotland will deliberate for a second day on Friday.

The nine women and five men were sent home after failing to reach a verdict on their first day of deliberations.

Antoin Duffy, 39, his cousin Martin Hughes, 36, and Paul Sands, 32, all deny being involved in a plot to kill Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair and Sam McCrory.

Mr Duffy and Mr Hughes also deny terrorism charges.

Two others on trial, Craig Convery, 37, and Gordon Brown, 29, deny charges of being involved in organised crime.

At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lady Scott told the jury: "There are three verdicts you can return - guilty, not guilty or not proven."

The judge added: "You must not to rush to judgement. You must take as long as you need."

The court has already heard that Mr Adair and his best friend Mr McCrory are both former members of prohibited Loyalist terror organisations the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and its paramilitary wing the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF).

They were involved in the Good Friday agreement in 1998 which brought peace to Northern Ireland, and both have been living in Ayrshire for a number of years.