Six men jailed for combined total of 101 years after series of gangland attacks in Edinburgh

Six men involved in a series of suspected gangland attacks in Edinburgh have been jailed for a combined total of 101 years.

Michael Heeps, 34, John Murray, 25, Lee Ridgway, 32, Dale Bauld, 33, Damien Mullen, 26, and Ryan McGovern, 33, were jailed for their roles in a series of crimes following a lengthy trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

The gang were previously convicted of numerous offences including attempted murder, wilful fire-raising and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Their targets included a man who told how his hand was left “hanging off” having been ambushed with blades.

The crimes, which also involved torching the cars of prison officers at HMP Addiewell, were carried out in and around Edinburgh in late 2022 and early 2023.

The attackers were caught during a large-scale investigation, which saw officers discover handwritten directions to a target’s home in a getaway car.

One of the gang was brought back to Scotland after fleeing the country.

At the High Court in Glasgow, on Friday, Heeps was jailed for 23 years, Ridgeway for 22 years, Murray for 17 years, Bauld for 17 years, Mullen for 14 Years, and McGovern for eight years.

Detective Superintendent Paul Grainger said: “The use of violence is always completely unacceptable.

“Although these were all targeted attacks, those involved showed absolutely no regard for the communities affected.

“These incidents could have had much more serious consequences and this behaviour will not be tolerated.

“These sentences show Police Scotland’s commitment to the Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce’s national strategy.

“I want to make it clear to those intent on being involved in serious and organised crime that we will not give up and you will be brought to justice.

“I would again like to thank officers who worked on this investigation, as well as our partners in forensic services and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal services, for their work. I would also like to thank the public for their support throughout the investigation.”