Cases

Seven men jailed after murder of Greenock father

Seven men who murdered a father in Greenock after shooting him on the doorstep of his home have been jailed for life.

Neil Canney, or Wilson, was left seriously injured following the early morning attack on Nairn Road on 28 February 2023.  

The 37-year-old was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital but died a short time later. 

A number of other people, including children, were present in the house when eight bullets were fired towards the property.  

Following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, Brendan Balloch, 25, Jack Benson, 24, Kieran Hendry, 26, Martin McCusker, 41, Michael Munro, 28, and Dale Russell, 31, were all found guilty of being involved in the fatal shooting.  

The murder charge was aggravated due to their involvement in serious organised crime.  

The six men were also found guilty of attempted murder while Russell was further convicted of being in possession of a machete on the night of the killing.  

A seventh man, Kieran Meechan, 29, earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of murder, which was aggravated due to his involvement in serious organised crime.  

The prosecutor led a variety of evidence at the trial including eyewitness accounts, ballistics, DNA, CCTV, mobile phone communications and cell site data.  

The group were convicted on 25 July 2025. 

On 12 September 2025, at the High Court in Glasgow, the seven men were sentenced. 

Balloch was jailed for a minimum of 21 years while Benson, Hendry, McCusker, Munro, Russell and Meechan received punishment terms of 20, 21, 23, 21, 24, 17 years respectively.  

Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said:   

“Neil Canney’s murder was a brazen shooting deliberately carried out by these individuals, who were acting together following extensive planning. 

"Their reckless actions have robbed the victim's family of a future with their loved one while also putting the lives of several others, including children, in serious danger.  

"It is only by luck that no one else was hit by any of the bullets that were indiscriminately fired into a busy household that night. 

"This was a lengthy and complex investigation which saw our specialist prosecutors work closely with Police Scotland to identify those responsible and ensure they were held accountable. 

"This prosecution should send a strong message to others involved in this kind of criminal behaviour - you cannot hide from justice, and we will use all the tools available to us as we strive to keep the communities we serve safe. 

"As a member of Scotland's Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce, the Crown will continue working with the police and other agencies to ensure that these crimes are detected and perpetrators prosecuted."