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Martin Ready, who used to work as a solicitor, will be staying another 12 weeks at the secure mental health facility for further assessment, so his sentencing is on hold until July.
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Who believed he was an “evil Jesus” figure, who used Bitcoin to pay for a hitman on a fraudulent dark web site called the “Online Killers Market.”
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His delusional plot targeted prosecutor Darrn Harty based on unfounded claims that Harty’s family bar was involved in money laundering, which Harty has strongly denied.
42-year-old ex-lawyer, Martin Ready, got caught plotting a mob-style murder on the dark web and was found guilty. His target was a local prosecutor he knew from a family-run bar. The judge said he needs to stay in a secure mental health unit to better assess his mental health.
The Delusional Plot to “Shine a Light”
The case centers on Martin Ready’s fixation on Darren Harty, a procurator fiscal (a Scottish prosecutor). Ready, a former commercial contracts solicitor, believed Harty’s family bar in Coatbridge was a front for money laundering. He saw killing Harty as a way to “shine a light” on imagined criminal activity in the town.
During his trial, Ready claimed he was in a delusional state. He told the court he believed he was an “evil Jesus” figure on a mission. He even went by another name, Harry Brown, which is the name of a fictional vigilante from a Michael Caine movie back in 2009. Even with this excuse, the jury at the High Court in Glasgow said he was guilty of trying to plan a murder last year. They rejected his claim of lacking criminal responsibility.
Ready put his plan into action between May 2021 and September 2022 by going to the dark web. He accessed a site called the “Online Killers Market.” And he paid 0.2913 Bitcoin, then worth about £5,071, to a site administrator. He provided graphic details for a “gangland-style execution.”
His plan unraveled in a twist worthy of a movie. The “Online Killers Market” was not a real hitman service. It was a lucrative scam designed to take money from people like him. His activities were uncovered after a journalist investigating the encrypted network alerted police. They invited a cybercrime team to help with the investigation, and during the course of it, the Bitcoin payment was traced back to Ready.
The Court Proceedings and Ready’s Mental Health Assessment
After the court found him guilty, they sent Ready to HMP Barlinnie prison. In February 2025, Judge Lady Hood gave an interim compulsion order. This moved him to Rowanbank Clinic, a medium-secure mental health unit in Glasgow. The move was for further assessment before sentencing.
Judge Hood has decided to keep the secure unit order going for another 12 weeks, as announced at the hearing on December 17. The case is on hold until July so they can get another psychiatric evaluation. The prosecutors asked for more time so the doctors could finish up their evaluation.
Judge Hood stated this was “the most appropriate course to take” after considering medical reports.
Throughout the proceedings, the intended victim, Darren Harty, has strongly denied all allegations of criminal involvement. He testified from behind a screen during the trial, saying he was “stunned and shocked” by the plot.
The Persistent Threat of the Dark Web
This bizarre case highlights several enduring and serious issues. It shows how the dark web continues to host dangerous and fraudulent services that can enable real-world violence. Ready believed the anonymity of cryptocurrency and encrypted networks would hide his crime. Instead, police successfully followed the digital trail—a reminder that even those with technical expertise, like security experts turned ransomware affiliates, are not beyond the reach of law enforcement.
This case perfectly captures the legal tightrope walk of mental health and criminal responsibility. The court found Ready guilty, sure. But the judge hit pause on sentencing to get him evaluated first. His case aligns with broader research uncovering a hidden mental health crisis among dark web users. Keeping him at Rowanbank Clinic longer? It’s the judge trying to balance the scales and get him the treatment he needs.
We’ll see what happens next in July, when the court meets again to decide what happens to Ready. For now, the former lawyer remains in a secure unit, his violent fantasy having led only to his own confinement.
