'Police warned gym boss over his safety weeks before death'

A gym owner murdered yards from his doorstep was given a police personal safety warning six weeks before his death, a court heard on Tuesday.

Detective sergeant Nick Eaton, 45, visited Gary More, 32, at his home in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, on July 23, 2018.

The evidence was heard at the trial of Neil Anderson, 45, who is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of acting with others in murdering Mr More by repeatedly discharging a firearm at him on September 6, 2018.

DS Eaton told jurors that he was tasked with giving Mr More a category B “personal safety advice notice”.

The court was shown the notice, which read: “I’m here to inform you that your personal safety may be at risk.”

The officer said: “I explained my reasons for being there and read over the notice.

“I asked if he had any questions and he provided ‘no comment’ in relation to that.

“I asked him to sign the document and he agreed he would, he signed it and I left the property.”

Neil Anderson’s QC Donald Findlay later asked DS Eaton if Mr More was “interested” in the document, which the officer replied: “No.”

The court then heard from Mr More’s friend and neighbour David Hughes, 41, who stated he had delivered money to an unknown man in Bothwell, South Lanarkshire, for him.

Hughes later told jurors that he went to the murder scene after hearing a “noise I hadn’t heard before”.

The joiner said the man from Bothwell was beside Mr More when he arrived.

Prosecutor Liam Ewing QC asked: “What did you ask him?”

Mr Hughes replied: “Who it was that done it.”

Mr Ewing then said: “What did he say?”

Mr Hughes responded: “He could smell it. I didn’t know [what he meant], I was confused.”

The witness claimed he tried to speak to Mr More, who “made a noise as if he was trying”.

Mr Hughes stated he went to look for the emergency services, who were stopped at the bottom of the hill leading into the street.

Mr Ewing put to Mr Hughes that the court will hear that the ambulance would not attend without armed police.

Mr Hughes replied: “Yes, and a helicopter as well.”

Mr Ewing put a police statement Mr Hughes gave on February 2019 to him.

It said: “I don’t know how much [money] he owed exactly but I know it was a lot.

“I don’t know who he owed it to but he said it was the big boys, I took that to mean gangsters, crooks.”

Mr Hughes then stated in court: “He said once the big boys were out the road he would be happy.”

Mr Ewing asked: “Did he tell you he was moving and he had a big bill to clear before he could do that?”

Mr Hughes replied: “Yes.”

Jurors were then told Mr Hughes and a neighbour dropped off a vacuum bag “three inches” in width which contained money to a man in a gated Bothwell estate on July 10, 2018.

Mr Hughes claimed he next saw the man walking into Mr More’s front garden on the same day and said it was “strange”.

He then stated the next time he saw the individual again was beside Mr More at the murder scene.

Neil and David Anderson, 37, are also accused of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards Mr More by attending at his home, threatening him and demanding money.

The Andersons also face a separate allegation of being concerned in the supply of drugs between March and September 2018.

The offences are said to be aggravated by a connection to organised crime.

Both deny the allegations.

The trial continues before judge Lord Mulholland.