The final moments of Marc Webley’s life unfolded on a cold New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh. Just after 11:30 pm, outside the Anchor Inn in Granton, a desperate chase began, a man running for his life with a knife in hand.
Webley, 38, was pursued and ultimately struck by gunfire. Despite the frantic efforts of pub staff and patrons who immediately began CPR, he succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of January 1st, 2024, at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Grant Hunter, the man who fired the fatal shots, has now been sentenced to 26 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder and attempted murder. The court heard the killing wasn’t a crime of passion, but a calculated act driven by financial gain and linked to serious organized crime.
The judge, Lord Mulholland, condemned Hunter’s actions as cowardly, stating they would haunt him for the remainder of his life. The chilling details revealed a coldness that extended beyond the act itself.
Evidence presented showed Hunter, mere hours after the shooting, expressed annoyance at a delayed payment. He openly discussed expecting a “substantial amount of money” for taking a life, even making callous jokes about his victim’s death.
Hunter wasn’t alone in facing justice. His girlfriend, Emma McVie, admitted to attempting to obstruct the investigation by cleaning a stolen Hyundai used in the shooting, as well as laundering their clothes. Gary Robertson also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, having paid Hunter on behalf of unnamed individuals.
The court learned the weapon used in the attack remains at large, a dangerous reality for the community. A grim detail emerged from the post-mortem examination: a bullet had ricocheted off Webley’s stab vest before re-entering his body, highlighting the brutal nature of the assault.
The judge emphasized that Edinburgh’s streets are not a battlefield, rejecting any comparison to the violent eras of cities like 1930s Chicago. He described Hunter as “callous and arrogant,” a “paid assassin” whose release may never come.
Investigators described the violence as senseless, expressing their deepest sympathies to the Webley family. The discharge of a firearm outside a crowded pub on New Year’s Eve demonstrated a complete disregard for public safety, leaving others vulnerable to serious harm.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of organized crime and the tragic loss of life that results from such violence. One man is gone, another seriously injured, and a community left reeling from the shock of a senseless act.
