SENTENCING STATEMENTS

On sentencing, Judge McFadyen said

“Liam McDonald and Dylan Haldane, you have been found guilty of the attempted murder of a shopkeeper who was outside his shop in a residential street in Glasgow on a summer evening as people, including a mother with two children, one a baby, were going about their normal activities.  You and your two accomplices set about our victim with machetes and knives and used a blank firing imitation hand gun to confuse him and indeed frighten off others, like his brother, who might otherwise have intervened.  Your victim was eventually forced to the ground and suffered a catastrophic injury to his leg, which despite the best efforts of doctors, required to be amputated above the knee.  This was truly a life changing injury which has had a devastating impact on your victim and you have very properly been convicted of attempted murder.

This was a carefully planned hit job; the four of you travelled together in a private hire car, first to collect the necessary equipment which apparently included forensic suits and then to the vicinity of the brothers’ shop where the driver waited to facilitate your escape, apparently in ignorance of the scheme.  You were heavily armed with machetes and knives as well as the gun, which was fired repeatedly.  You fled the scene and got the private hire car to take you to the area of Mansionhouse Road where you attempted to dispose of some of the weapons and clothing by setting fire to them in a wheely bin and secreted the gun.  Fortunately, much of what happened – including the failed attempt to burn the evidence – was caught on CCTV cameras, although the use of masks helped to disguise you, but the police were able to recover useful evidence.

This was a crime of the gravest character.  You are both hardened criminals, with long criminal records for violence and for offences involving weapons. 

I have been told that one of your accomplices, William Dickson, previously pleaded guilty by accelerated procedure and was sentence to an extended sentence of fourteen years and four months with a custodial period of nine years and four months, apparently reduced from fourteen years in respect of his early plea.   You, of course, went to trial, as was your right and did not give evidence, as was also your right, although you have both now offered explanations of sorts of your behaviour that evening, albeit largely exculpatory and, whatever the background, nonsensical with regard to the events of that evening.

In your case, Liam McDonald, you were first convicted of serious assault in 2004, then again – in the High Court – in 2007 and most recently in the sheriff and jury court in 2019.  All three of these cases involved permanent disfigurement and the 2019 conviction also involved danger to life.  It is said in the social work report that you are at medium risk of reoffending, although it is also suggested that you would be suitable for an extended sentence.  Although I have to have regard to the report I am not bound by its assessment of risk when I consider whether the criteria for passing an extended sentence are met, if I am satisfied that the period for which you would otherwise be subject to a licence would not be adequate for the purpose of protecting the public from serious harm from you.  Given your record for serious harm and violence and weapons generally I have no confidence that any normal period of licence in your case would be adequate for public protection and I am satisfied that the criteria for passing an extended sentence are satisfied.  Indeed in your case, Liam McDonald, if you carry on in a similar criminal direction you may find yourself facing an indeterminate sentence.

In your case, Dylan Haldane you have a number of convictions for assault, including four on indictment, one of which was to permanent disfigurement.  Your record is significant and persistent, if not as serious as that of your co-accused.  You are also assessed in the social work report as medium risk.  In your case the question of post-release supervision is not addressed in the relevant report other than in the plainly inappropriate context of suitability for a community payback order, but, again, I consider that the circumstances of this case taken with your significant previous record means that the normal licence period would not be adequate for public protection and the criteria for passing an extended sentence are satisfied.

In both of your cases I shall impose extended sentences which are in two parts.  The first part will be a custodial period.

In your case Liam McDonald that will be fourteen years from 28 August 2023.  

In your case Dylan Haldane the custodial period will be thirteen years from 28 August 2023.

In both of your cases, if I were dealing separately with the charges against you, while the sentence that I have mentioned is what I would have imposed in respect of charge 2 (the attempted murder), the sentences that I would otherwise have imposed would have been eight years on charge 3 (possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause a person to believe that unlawful violence would be used against him), four years on charge 4 (unlawful possession of an imitation firearm) and two years on charge 5 (attempt to defeat the ends of justice), but since the offences all relate to one single incident and are properly reflected in my assessment of the circumstances of the attempted murder, I would have made all of them concurrent.

You will both thereafter be subject to an extension period of three years when you will be on licence subject to conditions set by Scottish Ministers.  If you breach any of these conditions you can be returned to custody."

18 December 2025