High Court Delays Sentencing for Man Convicted of Murder Conspiracy Involving Cryptocurrency

Glasgow Man Found Guilty of Murder Conspiracy Using Cryptocurrency

In a shocking case that has captivated the public, Martin Ready, 42, was found guilty of attempting to conspire to murder Darren Harty by using cryptocurrency to hire a hitman on the dark web. The verdict was delivered during a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last year, where it was revealed that Ready had paid over £5,000 in Bitcoin for the assassination plot.

Between May 2021 and September 2022, Ready utilized a fraudulent dark web site known as Online Killers Market to send instructions for Harty to be shot. The two men had a history, having known each other from a local pub in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, although they had not seen one another for years prior to the conspiracy.

During the trial, Ready claimed he was suffering from delusions, believing himself to be “evil Jesus” and that killing Harty would expose organized crime linked to Harty’s family pub. Despite his defense of lacking criminal responsibility, the jury convicted him, and he was remanded in custody at HMP Barlinnie.

However, sentencing has faced delays due to a lack of available beds at the Rowanbank Clinic, a medium secure unit in Glasgow. On Tuesday, Judge Lady Hood postponed the sentencing for two weeks, expressing frustration over the situation. “There’s been some sort of mix-up,” she noted, emphasizing the need for clarity on bed availability in secure units.

Ready’s defense attorney, Richard Goddard KC, urged the court to proceed in his absence, as the case awaits confirmation of a bed at Rowanbank. The next hearing is scheduled for February 11 at the High Court in Kilmarnock, as the legal system grapples with the complexities of this unusual case.