Key Points
- Legal Bids Rejected: Glasgow gangland figure David Nisbet and associate Declan McCuish have lost their legal appeals attempting to reduce their “excessive” prison sentences at the High Court of Justiciary.
- Severe Prison Terms Upheld: Nisbet will remain subject to his 13-year custodial sentence, while McCuish continues to serve an 11-year term for their roles in a conspiracy to murder rival figure Ryan Carvil.
- Encrypted Network Smashed: The murder plot was uncovered following law enforcement’s breach of the encrypted communications network EncroChat, which exposed detailed assassination plans.
- Hitman’s Cold Feet: The execution plot failed after a hired hitman from Liverpool, James Richards, abandoned the hit because he was dissatisfied with the provided getaway cars and escape logistics.
- Wider Criminal Syndicate: Related proceedings have seen co-conspirators Anthony Connell sentenced to six years and nine months, while the intended target, Ryan Carvil, was separately jailed for over eight years for running a massive illegal narcotics operation.
Glasgow (Glasgow Express) November 10, 2026 – Glasgow gangland boss David Nisbet and his associate Declan McCuish have failed in their legal attempt to have their prison sentences reduced after appeal judges at the High Court of Justiciary rejected claims that their custodial terms were excessive.
- Key Points
- What Was the Extent of the Conspiracy to Murder Ryan Carvil?
- How Did the Gangland Execution Attempt Collapse?
- What Sentences Were Issued to Other Co-Conspirators and the Target?
- Background of the Glasgow Gangland Feud
- Prediction: How Will the High Court’s Appeal Rejection Affect Organised Crime Dynamics in Scotland?
As reported by legal correspondents covering the High Court of Justiciary, senior judges dismissed the sentence appeals brought by 36-year-old Nisbet and 35-year-old McCuish. The duo were previously convicted following a High Court trial in February 2025 for their involvement in a sophisticated serious organised crime conspiracy aimed at assassinating rival figure Ryan Carvil, who had been branded a “grass” by mob members. Nisbet was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his supervisory role in the murder plot, while McCuish received an 11-year sentence.
Appellate judges ruled that the original trial judge’s sentences were entirely proportionate given the gravity of the offences, the severe threat posed to public safety, and the calculated nature of the gangland execution attempt. Both men will remain incarcerated for the full duration of their respective terms.
What Was the Extent of the Conspiracy to Murder Ryan Carvil?
As reported by court reporter Connor Gordon of the Glasgow Times, the plot to execute Carvil came to light after international law enforcement agencies compromised the EncroChat encrypted communications network used extensively by organised crime syndicates.
As detailed in prosecution evidence presented before the court, Nisbet directed the murder plot using encrypted network handles, communicating directly with syndicate members to organise the hit. Messages intercepted by Police Scotland revealed Nisbet’s insistence that Carvil be killed immediately. In one message, Nisbet stated:
“Mate, I will get someone to f***ing put a tool to a head tonight… this rat has to get got. His luck is just too much now mate.”
As reported by John Scheerhout and Ben Haslam of the Manchester Evening News, co-conspirator Anthony Connell—who operated under the handles ‘Roughdingo’ and ‘Las Penguin’—discussed precise ambush methods to dispose of Carvil without alerting authorities. Connell messaged associates:
“Jump out, nut him quickly, tie weights to his ankles and roll him in at canal. That’s a missing person, not a murder,”
before adding,
“No car to look for nothing you’ve got two weeks before they probably look in that water.”
How Did the Gangland Execution Attempt Collapse?
As reported by Ryan Carroll of the Daily Record, the assassination attempt faltered at the 11th hour due to logistical disagreements over getaway vehicles.
As detailed by prosecutor Miss Dalziel during court proceedings, Liverpool-based hitman James Richards was recruited and transported to a safe house in Lenzie, near Glasgow, in April 2020. Richards was supplied with a handgun, shown a wrapped bundle of cash as payment, and taken on a reconnaissance tour of locations frequented by Carvil.
However, Richards developed “cold feet” hours before the scheduled shooting. According to court records, Richards raised safety concerns directly with Nisbet regarding the getaway transport provided by the gang, messaging Nisbet:
“The only thing I am thinking about is the car. Can you get me a fast one? Just do not feel comfy driving that far with tool in that car. Them cars are fine to use, but I just would not feel right knowing if anything happens, I am f****d. At least if I had fast car or a motorbike I could get away.”
Richards abandoned the plot shortly after 3:00 PM on Easter Monday, April 13, 2020, and attempted to drive back to Merseyside. Armed response officers from Police Scotland intercepted his vehicle on the M74 motorway as he headed south. Although no weapons were recovered from the car during the initial stop, subsequent forensic analysis of EncroChat data conclusively established his involvement in the conspiracy.
What Sentences Were Issued to Other Co-Conspirators and the Target?
As reported by STV News court reporters, several key figures linked to the murder conspiracy and associated criminal operations have faced lengthy prison sentences:
- James Richards (Hitman): Pleaded guilty to involvement in serious organised crime and conspiracy to murder. Following a period on the run in Spain and subsequent extradition, he was sentenced to a lengthy custodial term at the High Court in Edinburgh.
- Anthony Connell (Organiser): Fled to Marbella, Spain, following the plot’s collapse. After being extradited back to Scotland in 2025, Connell pleaded guilty to serious organised crime charges and was jailed by Lord Scott for six years and nine months, alongside a three-year Serious Crime Prevention Order. He was also subjected to a £250,000 Proceeds of Crime order.
- Ryan Carvil (Intended Target): Separately prosecuted after police dismantled a massive, food-delivery-style illicit narcotics enterprise. Carvil was jailed for over eight years in early 2026 after pleading guilty to serious organised crime. Prosecutors noted his enterprise generated vast illegal profits, enabling the purchase of supercars including a £314,000 McLaren 765T and a £160,000 Audi R8.
Background of the Glasgow Gangland Feud
The plot to execute Ryan Carvil emerged from escalating tensions within the West of Scotland’s organised crime ecosystem during the spring of 2020. Police Scotland’s Operation Venetic—the UK-wide investigation triggered by the French law enforcement hack of the encrypted EncroChat platform—provided unprecedented access to the inner workings of Scottish criminal networks.
Prior to the enforcement action, rival criminal factions in Glasgow were engaged in aggressive territorial disputes driven by lucrative illicit narcotics distribution across the Central Belt. Carvil, historically associated with known underworld figures including murder victim Kenny Reilly, became the primary target of Nisbet’s faction after allegations surfaced within the criminal underworld that Carvil was acting as an informant or “grass.”
The interception of EncroChat communications enabled Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to disrupt multiple planned acts of extreme violence before execution. The legal proceedings against Nisbet, McCuish, Connell, Richards, and Carvil represent one of the most comprehensive prosecutions of an organised crime syndicate in Scottish legal history.
Prediction: How Will the High Court’s Appeal Rejection Affect Organised Crime Dynamics in Scotland?
The High Court of Justiciary’s decision to uphold the severe 13-year and 11-year prison terms for David Nisbet and Declan McCuish creates significant operational and legal precedents that will impact several key groups:
1. Organised Crime Groups and Gangland Leadership
The definitive rejection of sentence appeals for conspiracy to murder sets a stern precedent for criminal leadership in Scotland. By affirming lengthy sentences based primarily on encrypted communication evidence, the Judiciary has signaled that senior figures who direct violence from behind the scenes—even when the act itself fails to materialize—will receive no leniency. This outcome severely weakens Nisbet’s local criminal network, creating a leadership vacuum in Glasgow that may deter opportunistic rivals from mounting similar violent conspiracies due to the high risk of long-term incarceration.
2. Police Scotland and the Crown Office (COPFS)
The successful defense of these sentences validates the legal strategy deployed by COPFS and Police Scotland in utilizing intercepted EncroChat data. Prosecutors can continue to rely on robust custodial outcomes when building cases against high-level orchestrators of serious organised crime, reinforcing law enforcement’s capability to dismantle complex syndicates using digital intelligence.
3. Local Communities across Glasgow
The permanent removal of key gangland figures from the streets reduces the immediate threat of public gun violence and targeted turf warfare in residential areas such as Lenzie, Govan, and wider Glasgow. The court’s firm stance offers heightened public safety guarantees by disrupting the cycle of retaliatory gangland violence.
