GLASGOW – One of Scotland’s top lawyers, Paul McBride QC, has died in his sleep while on a business trip in Pakistan.
Mr McBride, 48, was found dead in his bed at a hotel in Lahore this morning, a spokesman for the family said.
The lawyer, who two men are accused of conspiring to murder along with Celtic manager Neil Lennon in an explosives plot, was in the country on a business trip with human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar.
A statement issued by Jack Irvine on behalf of Mr McBride’s family said: “Paul died in his sleep last night in a hotel in Pakistan and at this time we would ask you to respect the privacy of his family.”
Mr McBride was appointed a QC at the age of 35, said to be the youngest QC ever appointed in the United Kingdom.
He was called to the Scottish Bar in 1988 and has been involved in many high-profile criminal cases in Scotland.
Mr McBride is one of the most highly regarded and highest-profile criminal lawyers in Scotland. He also represented Celtic Football Club.
He is a former member of Labour and the Scottish Conservatives, which he left last June after Ruth Davidson was elected to lead the party. – (PA)