The leader of an Orange Lodge walked free from a court yesterday after being cleared of murder.
Mr Allan MacDonald, 39, was driven away from the High Court in Glasgow by friends after a jury took only 20 minutes to find him not guilty.
He had denied shooting convicted murderer James ''Titch'' Campbell, 41, outside Rumours pub in Barrhead, Renfrewshire, and claimed the main Crown witness against him was the murderer.
Mr MacDonald, the grand master of the lodge in Barrhead, said that Mr Kenneth Donaghy, 34, had fired the fatal shot.
Mr Donaghy claimed in evidence that Mr MacDonald waved a handgun around before shooting Campbell.
But defence QC John Morris told the jury yesterday: ''Allan MacDonald did not do the shooting. It was done by Kenneth Donaghy.''
Earlier, Mr MacDonald told the jury he was attacked by Campbell, of Glenora Drive, Nitshill, Glasgow, and Mr Donaghy after leaving the pub in May this year.
Mr MacDonald, of Aurs Crescent, Barrhead, said a Rangers Nine-in-a-Row T-shirt he was wearing was covered in Mr Campbell's blood.
He said he later put it in a bin before going fishing. He told Mr Morris,: ''Kenny Donaghy had me in an armlock from behind.
''I saw a silver handgun in his other hand.
''Campbell grabbed me by my throat and Donaghy told him, 'do him Titch'.
''I was struggling with them and a shot went off.''
He said he ran home and later told his wife: ''Kenny Donaghy pulled a shooter on me.''
Later he phoned his solicitor, Mr Joseph Shields, and was advised to go to the police.
During the five-day trial no motive was revealed for the shooting.
Mr Donaghy was also a member of the Barrhead lodge and all three men had been in the pub for several hours before the shooting on a Sunday evening.
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