Seven Men Jailed for Life for Greenock Doorstep Murder

Seven men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of Neil Canney, a 37-year-old father who was shot eight times on his doorstep in Greenock, Inverclyde. The attack occurred in the early hours of February 28, 2023, when Canney opened the door believing a friend was among a group outside; instead, he was fatally shot while relatives, including children, hid inside the house. The convicted men—Jack Benson, Dale Russell, Martin McCusker, Brendan Balloch, Kieran Hendry, Michael Munro, and Kieran Meechan—were also found guilty of attempted murder of six people inside the home. Lady Drummond, who presided over the High Court in Glasgow, described the shooting as a "brutal attack planned in advance" and handed down minimum sentences ranging from 17 to 24 years, with longer terms for those with greater involvement and an early guilty plea. Prosecutors noted it was unclear who fired the fatal shots, but all participants acted in concert as part of a criminal plan, allegedly triggered by a prior incident involving damage to one of the gang members' property. The victim's mother, Georgina Canney, provided emotional testimony about the traumatic event and the presence of family members during the shooting.