Prisoner arranged Greenock firebomb attacks from jail

A property in Greenock was left badly damaged after one of the firebomb hits

A prisoner who was allowed mobile phone access during the pandemic organised murder hits as revenge for his brother being stabbed.

Robert Warnock pled guilty to a murder conspiracy charge after organising three firebombings in Greenock, Inverclyde in 2020.

Relatives and properties of Andrew Sutherland and his half-brother Leonard Cole jnr were targeted.

Warnock believed the two were to blame for an attack on Reece Warnock in 2019.

He was in HMP Shotts at the time, serving an 11-year jail term for attempting to murder a woman and assaulting her partner.

Sutherland was jailed for six years in November 2020 after he pled guilty to the attempted murder of 18-year-old Reece Warnock in Port Glasgow.

However Cole jnr was cleared at a separate court case.

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The first hit was a petrol bomb attack on 13 July 2020 at a flat in Union Street, Greenock, where Cole's parents Rosaleen Sutherland and Leonard Cole snr were at the time.

A drug user called George Miller was then recruited to target the property again on 14 September that year.

After pouring petrol on the door and through the letterbox, Mr Miller died after setting himself on fire.

The final incident was at a flat in the town's Cumberland Road on 19 September.

There were also further threats to shoot Cole jnr and individuals linked to him.

Craig McFarlane and Drew Darling were involved in the plot

Warnock had initially gone on trial for the conspiracy to murder charge at the High Court in Glasgow with others involved in the plot.

Craig McFarlane, 26, and Cain Carr, 23, were also found guilty of the same charge.

Drew Darling, 29, and Brendan O'Donnell, 24, pled guilty during the trial to attempted murder relating to involvement in the Union Street attack.

Kieran McAnally, 26, pled guilty to attempted murder over the petrol bombing at Cumberland Street.

The six were remanded in custody and will be sentenced in Edinburgh on 26 October.

Prosecutor Paul Kearney KC said: "The Crown contends you have heard evidence that clearly shows Robert Warnock was the prime instigator of this conspiracy.

"It was motivated by a desire for revenge for what was done to his younger brother by those two men in August 2019.

"As he was in prison, he relied on others...to ensure these targeted attacks could take place."

'Campaign of gangsterism'

Jurors heard there was "compelling and irrefutable evidence" that McFarlane was in phone contact with Warnock while he was in jail.

McFarlane was said to have "boasted" about involvement in the 13 July attack.

The court also heard McFarlane helped recruit George Miller, 46, who was offered high-quality cocaine to take part.

McFarlane's own flat was firebombed on 28 September during the violence.

He had lodged a special defence of alibi.

Carr had claimed he had only travelled from Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire on the night of the Cumberland Street attack to buy drugs.

Lord Mulholland told the six: "Please be under no misapprehension - this was a campaign of gangsterism.

"Lengthy sentences of imprisonment will be imposed."

Reece Warnock died in an unrelated incident.