A 39-year-old man has been handed a lengthy prison sentence after firing a live handgun into the home of a former friend during a violent escalation of a long-running feud.
Brazen Attack in Residential Street
Nicky Robertson discharged three rounds from a Glock pistol through the ground-floor window of a property on Niddrie Marischal Crescent in Edinburgh in the early hours of March 20, 2025. The attack followed a period of 'ongoing hostility' between Robertson and the occupant of the house, a man with whom he had previously been friends.
A neighbour alerted police by calling 999 at 3.02am after hearing three loud bangs. The occupant of the targeted home, who was alone at the time, later refused to cooperate with the police investigation.
Police Investigation and Forensic Evidence
The inquiry, part of Operation Portaledge which investigates suspected gang feuds, led officers to search several properties linked to Robertson. An initial search of his home in South Queensferry saw four mobile phones seized. Crucially, an image recovered from one phone showed Robertson holding a black Glock-style handgun.
A subsequent search of a property in Crewe Road Gardens, Edinburgh on April 17, 2025 proved decisive. A black bin bag concealed under a sofa contained the weapon: a Glock handgun, a magazine, and three bullets. Forensic analysis provided a positive match between this gun and the cartridge casings recovered from the scene of the shooting in Niddrie.
Robertson was arrested on April 24, 2025, after a further search of his South Queensferry address.
Court Sentencing and Criminal History
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Robertson admitted a series of serious charges, including:
- Possessing a prohibited firearm (a Glock handgun with a barrel less than 30cm).
- Possessing three live rounds of ammunition.
- Having the gun and ammunition at addresses in Niddrie and South Queensferry between February 24 and April 14, 2025, without a firearms certificate.
On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Lord Weir imposed an extended sentence of nine years in custody, with a further three years of supervision upon release. The judge condemned Robertson's 'brazen and intolerable' crimes.
Lord Weir highlighted the gravity of using a working firearm capable of lethal violence in a public place. He also noted with significant concern that Robertson was before the High Court again for a firearms offence, having been previously jailed for 10 years in 2007 for another gun crime, including a conviction for attempted murder with a shotgun when he was around 21.
In defence, advocate Mark Stewart KC stated the background involved a former friendship that had soured, leading to ongoing animosity. He acknowledged his client had 'escalated matters beyond anything which is in any way acceptable.'
