A violent criminal has been handed a nine-year prison sentence for brazenly firing a handgun into a residential property in Edinburgh, an act a High Court judge described as a 'brazen and intolerable' disregard for public safety.
A Targeted Shooting in Niddrie
The incident occurred in the early hours of 20 March last year in the Niddrie area of Edinburgh. Nicky Robertson, 39, discharged three live rounds from a Glock handgun through the ground-floor window of a house on Niddrie Marsichal Crescent.
A neighbour alerted police after hearing three loud bangs. Officers arriving at the scene discovered three bullet holes in the window, corresponding bullet casings on the road outside, and further damage inside the property. The attack was later linked to an escalating feud between rival criminal gangs, sparking a major police investigation known as Operation Portaledge.
Evidence from Phones and Social Media
The prosecution, led by John Keenan KC, told the court that in the days following the shooting, a video was circulated on social media showing a figure in dark clothing running towards the scene and firing a handgun. This footage was shown in court.
CCTV evidence tracked a white BMW 1 Series to the cul-de-sac just before the attack. An individual was seen emerging from the passenger side before loud bangs were heard. The car was later found burnt out near South Queensferry.
Police armed with a warrant searched Robertson's address and seized mobile phones. From one phone, an image was recovered showing Robertson holding a black Glock-style pistol. Other images showed the weapon being handled with a surgical glove and cached stills from the social media video of the shooting itself.
In April, the actual pistol used in the attack was discovered under a sofa in a separate Edinburgh house during an investigation into fire attacks.
A History of Violence and Final Sentencing
Robertson, a father-of-two, appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh last month where he admitted culpably and recklessly firing the rounds, along with three Firearms Act offences. The case called again yesterday before judge Lord Weir for sentencing.
Robertson has a significant criminal history, including a 10-year sentence imposed in 2007 for the attempted murder of former youth footballer Jamie Ewart, whom he shot with a sawn-off shotgun outside an Edinburgh pub.
Passing sentence, Lord Weir noted Robertson's previous high court conviction and told him, via video link, that 'the use of a firearm on the public streets in this way was brazen and intolerable.' The judge emphasised the court's duty to deter such dangerous methods of resolving disputes.
Defence counsel Mark Stewart KC said the shooting stemmed from a former friendship that had 'gone wrong', leading to ongoing animosity with the householder. He acknowledged only a custodial sentence was possible.
As well as the nine-year prison term, Lord Weir ordered that Robertson will be supervised for three years following his eventual release from custody.
