A CONVICTED killer who was acquitted of murdering a man in a Drumchapel street has been hit with a court order designed to prevent his further involvement in serious organised crime.

John Kennedy, 41, had been accused of gunning down Jamie Campbell in Essenside Avenue in March 2006.

A jury delivered a not-proven verdict on that charge at the High Court in Edinburgh last month.

But the same jury found Kennedy and three other men guilty of the murder of another man, Kenny Reilly, in Glasgow's Maryhill in April 2018.

And now Kennedy and one of his co-accused in the Reilly murder case, 30-year-old Darren Eadie, have been made the subject of a serious crime prevention order (SCPO) which will kick in when they are eventually released from prison.

Mr Reilly was shot in the head after Kennedy, Eadie, and two other men pulled alongside the car he was in as it was stopped at traffic lights in Maryhill.

The 29-year-old died two days later.

The hit had been organised by Eadie, who brought the three other men together to carry out the shooting, while Kennedy opened the passenger door of his vehicle and shot at Mr Reilly.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) confirmed the murder was connected to serious organised crime.

Kennedy was sentenced to life with a minimum of 26 years for murder and five years to run concurrently for attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Eadie was sentenced to life with a minimum of 24 years for murder, and five years to run concurrently for attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

The SCPOs granted at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday are believed to be the first to be granted in Scotland after a murder conviction.

Laura Buchan, procurator fiscal for specialist casework at the COPFS, said: “Kenny Reilly’s murder was a brazen shooting deliberately carried out by men involved in serious and organised crime.

“As well as prosecuting criminals, COPFS has a duty to protect Scottish communities from the harm done by serious and organised crime gangs.

"SCPOs are one of the ways we can do that, ensuring restrictions are placed on offenders’ activities and that they are subject to monitoring upon their release from prison.

“The restrictions placed on these men are designed to prevent any future involvement in serious crime.”

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn from Police Scotland added: “Serious crime prevention orders are used to protect the public by preventing, restricting, or disrupting a person’s involvement in serious crime.

"Their use is an important tactic available to Police Scotland, which helps our officers protect our communities from the activities of organised criminals by imposing requirements that they must comply with for the duration of the order.

“Breaching a SCPO is a serious offence and we will continue to work in partnership with others, including the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, to limit any potential offending by robustly managing orders imposed by the courts.”