A 53-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of attempted murder for firing a high-powered crossbow at a neighbour in Aberdeen in November 2023.
Alan Bruce, known locally as "Snappy," was also given a concurrent five-year sentence for possessing a stun gun disguised as a torch, the High Court in Glasgow heard. Bruce was convicted following a trial in Aberdeen and was sentenced on 10 September 2025.
Jurors were told that the victim, 44-year-old Richard Murison, had knocked on the window of the flat Bruce shared with his elderly mother late on 11 November 2023. Mr Murison then left the building and walked toward nearby Eric Hendrie Park when he became aware that someone was following him and heard a familiar voice, having known Bruce for about 30 years.
According to witness testimony admitted at trial, Mr Murison saw a red dot appear on him before feeling a sudden pain in his stomach. He fell to his knees and later pulled a crossbow bolt from his body. Mr Murison spent five days in hospital with severe internal bleeding and told police he believed he was going to die.
Prosecutors said officers found crossbow boxes, bolts and the stun gun in Bruce’s home. At trial Bruce denied seeing or following Mr Murison that night. Defence counsel John Brannigan told the court his client had a long-standing problem with drugs that had blighted his life.
Sentencing, Lord Renucci said: "You decided to leave your house armed with a loaded crossbow, chased after your victim and deliberately shot him with that crossbow. It's more by luck than judgment that you are not being sentenced today for murder rather than attempted murder." He criticised Bruce for leaving the injured man and not calling an ambulance.
Bruce had trained a laser sight on Mr Murison before firing, jurors heard. The Crown argued the attack was deliberate and that Bruce had intended to cause serious harm. The defence accepted a history of substance abuse but denied intent to murder.
The case was prosecuted after emergency services responded to reports of a man injured in the park. Medical staff treated Mr Murison for internal bleeding and he required several days of inpatient care.
The conviction follows increasing concern in Scotland and elsewhere about the criminal use of weapons such as crossbows and disguised stun devices, which are not readily identifiable at a glance. Under Scottish law, possession of an offensive weapon can attract significant penalties, and the attempted murder conviction carries a lengthy custodial term reflecting the severity of the injury and the circumstances of the attack.
Bruce was sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder with the five-year term for the stun gun to run concurrently. Court reports noted a criminal justice social work report said Bruce had expressed some remorse, a point Lord Renucci said was at least something in mitigation.
Police and court officials in Aberdeen declined further comment beyond the trial record. Mr Murison's condition has not been publicly updated beyond the details given at trial.