Nine men have appeared before the High Court accused of orchestrating a violent campaign of revenge following the fatal stabbing of Omar Sadiq in Glasgow. Prosecutors allege the accused conspired to assault, endanger the life of, and ultimately murder Hashim Uddin — the man convicted of killing Sadiq — along with people connected to him. The trial opened with the reading of evidence agreed between prosecution and defence lawyers, before judge Lord Mulholland.
Omar Sadiq, 32, died in hospital after being attacked on 15 September 2020. The indictment names Hashim Uddin as the man responsible for the killing, and states that in the months that followed, the nine defendants — including Sadiq's brother, Kashif Sadiq — allegedly worked together and with others to pursue a campaign of retaliation against Uddin and his associates.
What are the men accused of doing?
The charges allege a series of attempted murders, including petrol bomb attacks on multiple properties across Glasgow and knife or machete assaults targeting named individuals. Prosecutors also claim the group fitted tracking devices to vehicles in order to monitor their targets' movements, and separately allege that cars were deliberately set alight as part of the campaign. The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 15 September and 14 December 2020, with several addresses across the city named in connection with the plot.
Kashif Sadiq, 34, Robert Daniel, 36, David Doherty or Docherty, 37, David McShane, 40, William McNally, 43, Michael Kennaway, 34, James Blakely, 31, Tony Robertson, 28, and James Bennett, 37, all deny the charges against them.
How did Omar Sadiq die?
Jurors were told that Sadiq was stabbed by Hashim Uddin inside the attacker's home on 15 September 2020, later dying from his injuries. Uddin was traced by police on 1 October of that year and was convicted of culpable homicide in May 2021, receiving a six-year prison sentence. According to a report from the Daily Record, Uddin was released from prison during 2026. Police Scotland previously stated, as reported by the force's own statement, that Sadiq was stabbed twice with a hunting knife during a dispute over a dog at Uddin's flat in Pollok, Glasgow.
What did the WhatsApp and social media messages say?
The court heard about two WhatsApp messages sent to a named man by his nephew on 20 September 2020, five days after the killing. One included a screenshot of a Facebook post alongside a photograph of Uddin, offering a reward for information on his whereabouts.
£25,000 reward
The second message contained a further Facebook post and photograph of Uddin, again referencing the reward, along with the following message:
Speed up the process. You want a killer on your streets???
The man later received a further message from his relative containing a Snapchat post showing a photograph of the nephew alongside Uddin and Omar Sadiq. The accompanying text read:
Anyone know or heard anything. Let us know and the police. We need closure and Omer to rest in peace. My wee bro needs to rest plz . There's £25,000 reward anyone who tells the police.
Were more people originally accused?
According to STV News, the case originally involved 12 accused rather than nine, with Tony Khan, Mitchell Sweeney and George Noon also named alongside those now on trial. Separately, according to Ground News, George Noon later pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour linked to the alleged plot and was jailed for 28 months. It is not clear from the available reporting why the remaining defendants now number nine rather than the twelve initially named.
What happens next?
According to STV News, the trial was fixed to begin in August 2026 and is expected to run for around seven weeks. Proceedings continue before Lord Mulholland, with further evidence still to be heard from both prosecution and defence.
Key Facts
- Omar Sadiq, 32, died after being stabbed on 15 September 2020; Hashim Uddin was later convicted of culpable homicide and jailed for six years in 2021.
- Nine men, including Sadiq's brother Kashif Sadiq, deny charges alleging a coordinated revenge campaign involving petrol bombs, knife attacks and vehicle tracking.
- Court evidence included WhatsApp and social media messages offering a £25,000 reward for information on Uddin's whereabouts.
- The case was originally reported to involve 12 accused; George Noon, one of those originally named, was separately jailed for 28 months after pleading guilty to threatening behaviour.
- The trial, before Lord Mulholland, was scheduled to begin in August 2026 and last around seven weeks.
