A contract killer who shot a man dead outside an Edinburgh pub on Hogmanay and later joked that his victim did not live to see the New Year has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
A Targeted Killing on New Year's Eve
Grant Hunter, 34, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 26 years at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, 17 December 2025. He had pleaded guilty last month to the murder of 38-year-old Marc Webley and the attempted murder of Stewart Pearson.
The fatal shooting occurred shortly before midnight on 31 December 2023 outside The Anchor Inn in Edinburgh. The court heard that Hunter carried out the hit "on behalf of others" who remain unknown to Police Scotland.
The Attack and Its Aftermath
CCTV evidence showed Hunter parking a stolen Hyundai Tucson before approaching Webley and Pearson. After a brief encounter, he pulled out a firearm and opened fire.
Initial shots missed Webley but struck Stewart Pearson, who survived after making a full recovery. Webley, who was wearing a stab-proof vest, was shot in the back as he tried to flee and was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Lord Mulholland, the sentencing judge, stated the shots fired at Webley "showed beyond any doubt that you wanted him dead." The murder weapon has never been recovered.
Sinister Bragging and Lack of Remorse
A witness told police that Hunter was making jokes on New Year's Day about Webley "not seeing the bells." He reportedly said he pulled his mask down so the victim "knew who had done it to him."
Lord Mulholland described this desire to be seen as "sinister" but said it ultimately led to Hunter's "undoing," as he was recognised by police and members of the public. The judge noted Hunter had shown "no remorse" for his actions.
Sentencing him, Lord Mulholland said Hunter had committed murder for financial gain and to further serious organised crime, adding: "Your cowardly actions will haunt you for the rest of your life." He previously told Hunter that the streets of Edinburgh and Scotland were not "war zones" or "Chicago in the 1930s."
Accomplices Also Sentenced
Two accomplices were also jailed for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
- Emma McVie, 27, Hunter's former partner, who travelled in the stolen vehicle to the scene, cleaned the getaway car and their clothes. She was sentenced to four-and-a-half years.
- Gary Robertson, 22, disposed of the gun and supplied cash, cocaine, and a change of clothing to the pair. He received a six-and-a-half-year prison term.
Moira Orr, procurator fiscal for homicide, said the "targeted shooting" during a time of public celebration had cost one man his life and endangered another. She warned others involved in such criminality that they "cannot hide from justice."
The judge concluded by stating unequivocally that the public and the courts "will not put up with this gangsterism."
