THE father of alleged Greenock firebomb murder bid conspiracy orchestrator Robert Warnock told a man to 'slaughter' his son's enemies, the High Court heard yesterday.
Robert Warnock snr — whose other son Reece, 18, was the victim of an attempted murder — sent a series of text messages to Warnock jnr's co-accused Brendan O'Donnell.
A jury heard how he sent a message to O'Donnell on the afternoon of October 23 of 2020, stating: "Slaughter this mob."
O'Donnell responded: "Wait and see what happens now."
Referring to another man, O'Donnell wrote: "I'm going for the wee Murphy, then when I get the jail I'm asking for Lenny's hall and I'm taking him out. You've got my word."
Warnock snr's son Reece was attacked by Lenny Cole jnr and his half-brother Andrew Sutherland in Port Glasgow in August of 2019.
Sutherland is serving a sentence for the attempted murder of the teenager by stabbing him on Princes Street.
Reece Warnock died a few months after the attack.
The court heard that during the text conversation Warnock snr told O'Donnell: "I know that son. They're all rats anyway."
Referring to his son, Warnock snr added: "Robert's got pals in every jail."
O'Donnell then responds: "Let's do this mob mate.
"Reece will get his day and we will all be having a drink for him."
In a further message referring to someone, O'Donnell wrote: "I'll do his grave for him doing that to Reece's. I know his luck has ran out."
Warnock snr replied: "I'm going to get his whole grave on fire the night of his funeral son, I promise you."
O'Donnell responded: "I'll be there with you, pal. I promise you."
The court also heard how O'Donnell exchanged a series of messages with a man named only as Paul on November 6, 2020 — the day after Craig McFarlane was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
McFarlane was taken in custody in connection with the July 13, 2020 firebomb attack on the home of Cole jnr and Sutherland's mother's home on Union Street.
O'Donnell told Paul in a text message of McFarlane's arrest, and said: "No' unless it was for that thing we done ages ago. That's the only thing any of us can think of."
Paul replies: "Well that's what I was thinking cos it's July..."
O'Donnell then sent: "I know, that's when that happened n all."
Paul sent a message stating: "You better watch he [McFarlane] disnae talk."
O'Donnell sent back: "Surely not."
Later in the conversation after O'Donnell confirms that it was McFarlane who had been arrested, Paul sent: "Ooft, not good. Surely that'll be a remand."
O'Donnell replies: "Got tae be."
He adds: "I'll be next."
Later O'Donnell wrote that McFarlane had done nothing 'cept that hing wi' me, and that was about that time."
Paul replied: "If they knew you were there you'd have been picked up by now."
O'Donnell then said: "I'll try get your dough back fast."
Robert Warnock jnr, 26, is said to have conspired with Craig McFarlane, 26, Brendan O'Donnell, 24, Drew Darling, 28, Kieran McAnally, 26, Cain Carr, 23, and Lee Heron, 25, to murder Leonard Cole snr and Rosaleen Sutherland, as well as five other people — including a six-year-old girl — at addressed on Union Street and Cumberland Road.
The trial, before Lord Mulholland, continues.
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