A 27-year-old man, Connor Manners, has been handed a life sentence for the murder of Gary Nicol, a father of three, following a brutal knife attack in West Lothian. Manners, who admitted to the killing, used a dating application to lure Mr Nicol to a meeting point near a primary school in Livingston on 26 September 2024, where the fatal assault took place.
During sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Renucci described Manners' actions as a "brutal, premeditated and cowardly attack on an unsuspecting victim." The court heard that Manners had gone to the meeting armed with a knife and a crossbow, inflicting multiple stab and slash wounds on Mr Nicol, including to his neck and chest. Mr Nicol was found dead in the early hours of the morning by a driver who noticed his car by the roadside.
The investigation quickly led police to Manners' home on 11 October 2024, where he expressed surprise it had taken officers so long to find him. He directed them to a black bag in his kitchen containing blood-stained clothing and shoes belonging to Mr Nicol, and also pointed to the murder weapon, a knife lodged in a wall next to a paper titled "assasin (sic) checklist" detailing studies on weapons, anatomy, serial killers, and police operations.
Further disturbing details emerged during Manners' processing at Livingston police station, where he reportedly announced, "Just as well you caught me, I was going to do another one." He later told a forensic psychiatrist that he had killed others, though subsequent police investigations found no evidence to support these claims. Manners also stated his desire to be caught so he could achieve a "dream job as an assassin for a government or governmental agency."
While defence counsel Ian Duguid KC indicated that Manners was receiving antipsychotic medication and suffered from a personality disorder, it was clarified that this did not diminish his responsibility for the crime. Lord Renucci ordered Manners to serve a minimum of 20 years in prison before he can be considered for parole, cautioning that he "may never be released." Any future decision on his release will rest with the parole board.