Judge orders ‘evil Jesus' who plotted to kill lawyer to be moved to secure unit
A judge has ordered that a man who plotted to kill a prosecutor while claiming to be suffering from delusions that he was 'evil Jesus' be moved to a medium secure mental health unit ahead of his sentencing in May.
Martin Ready, 42, was found guilty of attempting to conspire to murder Darren Harty by using cryptocurrency to pay for a hitman on the dark web following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last year.
Between May 2021 and September 2022, Ready paid £5,071.24 in Bitcoin and sent instructions for Mr Harty to be shot on a dark website called Online Killers Market, which turned out to be fraudulent.
During the trial, Ready told the court he had suffered from delusions that he was 'evil Jesus' and believed the murder of Mr Harty would expose organised crime in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, where Mr Harty's family owned a pub.
The men knew each other from the pub, but the court heard they had not seen each other for years before the plot.
Ready denied the charge and lodged a special defence of lacking criminal responsibility, but was convicted and remanded in custody at HMP Barlinnie.
On Tuesday at the High Court in Kilmarnock, judge Lady Hood issued an interim compulsion order requiring Ready to be moved to the Rowanbank Clinic medium secure unit in Glasgow ahead of his sentencing.
This order had been delayed for some weeks due to a lack of a bed at the unit but, at Tuesday's hearing, Ready's lawyer Brian McConnachie KC confirmed a bed at the clinic was now available.
'As a result of the last hearing it has now been indicated that there is now a bed available at Rowanbank, and your ladyship is now in a position to make an interim compulsion order,' he told the court.
He added that the order would last for a period of 12 weeks, and that Ready would therefore be in a position to be sentenced on May 5 2025.
Lady Hood said: 'Mr Ready, on August 29 2025 at the High Court in Glasgow you were found guilty by a jury of a charge of attempted conspiracy to murder.'
She told him she was 'satisfied' on the basis of medical reports that he was mentally ill.
'Reports have been prepared by two psychiatrists,' she said.
'They are both of the opinion that you suffer a mental disorder, namely delusional disorder.'
She told him that his case had been continued 'in order to ascertain that place is available in a suitable hospital, which would be able to accept you in the timescale set out in legislation'.
She added: 'The court has now received confirmation that a place is now available for you and is being held for you at Rowanbank Clinic.'
Lady Hood said: 'Having considered all of the circumstances involved and the nature of the offence, I am satisfied it is appropriate to make an interim compulsion order.'
The order, she explained, will 'authorise' his admittance to, and treatment at, Rowanbank Clinic, until the case calls again at Glasgow High Court on May 5 2025.
Ready attended the hearing remotely over video link from Barlinnie prison, dressed in a blue polo shirt and jeans and with his hair cropped short.
He showed no reaction as the order was handed down.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
BBC confirms corporation will not appeal Gerry Adams libel ruling after it adds update to online article
It comes after the broadcaster updated an online article at the heart of the controversy, urging readers to be aware of the outcome of the case which found that the former Sinn Fein leader had been defamed. Mr Adams took the BBC to court over a Spotlight episode which aired in 2016 and the accompanying online article based on the programme. In a high-profile case, a jury concluded the content defamed Mr Adams (76) by featuring an anonymous source who alleged he sanctioned the 2006 murder of British agent Denis Donaldson who was also a high-ranking Sinn Fein official. This evening the BBC said: 'We have given careful consideration to the jury's decision. 'We will not be appealing its verdict, bringing this matter to a conclusion. We remain committed to public interest journalism and to serving all BBC audiences.' The verdict was delivered in the High Court in Dublin last month along with the decision to award the successful claimant €100,000 (£84,000). Jurors determined that the allegation — which Mr Adams has always denied — in the programme and online story was damaging to Mr Adams' reputation. The jury concluded that the BBC did not act in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way. The corporation was then ordered to pay Mr Adams' legal costs. The combined bill for both parties is estimated to be between €3-5m (£2.5-4.2m), according to sources with knowledge of the case. Speaking tonight, Mr Adams said the decision should be accompanied with 'a substantial reform' of the BBC's internal journalistic processes along with an acknowledgement that 'it cannot continue to be a voice for the British state in Ireland'. 'It must also become more accountable to the public,' he continued in a statement. 'There is an onus on the BBC to ensure that in the future its ethics and journalism reflect the principles and values of a public broadcast service. 'As I have already said the damages will be donated to good causes.' The offending online article remains on the BBC News website, however an update has been added. The update, alongside a link to reporting of the defamation case, states: 'In 2017 Gerry Adams commenced defamation proceedings in the Republic of Ireland against the BBC in respect of the article below and the BBC programme 'Spy in the IRA' upon which the article is based. 'In May 2025 a jury in the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, found in favour of Mr Adams and awarded him €100,000 (£84,000) in damages. 'A link to the BBC's reporting of the outcome of Gerry Adams' libel case, which should be read in conjunction with this update, is here.' It comes after the Taoiseach promised that defamation laws in the Republic will be changed as quickly as the Irish Government can achieve it. Earlier this week Micheal Martin praised the BBC reporter at the centre of the case, Jennifer O'Leary, as 'first-class'. 'I think the defamation laws need to be changed — we're going to change them,' he said. The Taoiseach vowed that the Government in Dublin would pass the legislation 'as quickly as we can' adding: 'I think we do need to get it through to create a balanced environment for commentary and for investigative journalism'. BBC NI director Adam Smyth previously warned of 'profound' implications of libel action as he expressed disappointment over the outcome. 'As our legal team made clear, if the BBC's case cannot be won under existing Irish defamation law, it's hard to see how anyone's could — and they warned that today's decision could hinder freedom of expression,' he said after the verdict. Meanwhile Ms O'Leary insisted she had entered the witness box with 'nothing to hide, only sources to protect' as she thanked them for trusting her. The BBC's legal team was granted a stay in the payment of the full award and initially said it was taking time to consider an appeal.
Belfast Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
BBC confirms corporation will not appeal Gerry Adams libel ruling
Mr Adams took the BBC to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, which he said defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson, in which he denies any involvement. Last month, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him 100,000 euros (£84,000) after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article. The BBC, which was found by the jury not to have acted in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way, was also ordered to pay the former Sinn Fein leader's legal costs. In a statement on Friday evening, the BBC said: "We have given careful consideration to the jury's decision. "We will not be appealing its verdict, bringing this matter to a conclusion. We remain committed to public interest journalism and to serving all BBC audiences."
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Ex-Leeds mayor loses home after High Court battle
The home of a former lord mayor of Leeds has been seized by the UK law enforcement agency responsible for tackling organised crime and drug National Crime Agency (NCA) won a High Court battle with Abigail Marshall Katung over the rights to the house on Sandmoor Drive in house had been previously owned by a businessman who was suspected of money laundering offences. He handed it over in 2020 as part of a deal with the councillor Mrs Katung, who was not aware of the accusations made against the home's former owner, said she would appeal against the decision. During the court hearing, Mrs Katung said she had entered into an agreement with the previous owner to buy the house in 2015. Mrs Katung said she had paid him about £400,000 of the contracted £1m purchase price, but the remaining sum was never court heard the majority of the funds were sent from Nigeria, where Mrs Katung was born, to the UK using an informal money transfer service which she described as the "black market", although she said it was not 6 June the High Court ruled, despite the payments, Mrs Katung had no legitimate interest or right to the property, which will now be transferred to the his ruling Mr Justice Jay said there were "telling omissions" from Mrs Katung's evidence, adding that he was "not satisfied that she was a particularly reliable witness".In a statement Mrs Katung said her account was "consistent". The NCA will be entitled to damages for Mrs Katung's use of the house since 2020, as well as to its Burgess, head of asset denial at the NCA, said a "substantial sum would be returned to the public purse" following the Katung said she had made "full disclosure" of the ruling prior to it becoming public knowledge, adding: "Whilst this is dreadfully upsetting to me and my family, I have not sought to hide away. "I want to continue to represent my constituents, it is the most satisfying task I have ever undertaken and it is a complete privilege to be able to do so. "I recognise that enquiries will have to be undertaken in order to preserve public confidence in the political system in which I operate. I will cooperate with that process fully and unreservedly."Mrs Katung became Leeds' first lord mayor of African descent when she took over the ceremonial role for a 12-month term in May has lived in the city since she came to the UK to study at the University of Leeds in 2000 and has represented the Little London and Woodhouse ward since being elected in 2019.A spokesperson for the Labour Party said an internal investigation into Mrs Katung was taking place.A Leeds City Council spokesperson said they were unaware of case, adding: "We are currently examining the High Court judgement and are unable to comment further at this time." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
