A HITMAN was today jailed for life after being convicted of the murder of gangland figure Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll which a judge described as an "execution in a public car park."

Thirty-five-year-old William Paterson was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow after almost three weeks of being on trial.

Paterson denied murdering Mr Carroll, 29, by gunning him down at the Asda car park in Robroyston, Glasgow, on January 13, 2010.

He claimed he was at his girlfriend Sarah Maguire's house in Linn Gardens, Cumbernauld at the time of the shooting but the jury rejected his alibi.

He was convicted of murder and a number of firearms charges.

Passing a minimum sentence of 22 years behind bars Judge Lord Armstrong told Paterson: "On the evidence this court has heard this murder appears to have been premeditated, planned carried out by you and others in the most calculated way.

"It was not a spontaneous event which happened in the spur of the moment, it was in effect an execution."

He said Carroll was murdered in the "most vicious and brutal" way. The judge added that it was carried out in a public car park where "ordinary members of the public were going about their everyday business" and "put at risk of gunfire".

Detective Chief Superintendent Robbie Allan, Major Crime, said: “Today’s conviction of William Paterson is the culmination of a lengthy and complex investigation.

“This was a targeted and carefully-orchestrated attack on an individual carried out by a criminal who had no regard for the safety of anyone else in that supermarket car park.

“Members of the public were left utterly terrified by Paterson’s actions as Kevin Carroll was shot dead in the car in which he was sitting.

“The investigation which led to the conviction of Paterson involved piecing together his movements through his mobile phone usage and hours of CCTV footage covering a large area as he journeyed towards the car park, carried out the shooting and then fled the scene and the country in an attempt to evade justice.

“Information and witness accounts from members of the public also played an important part in securing today’s conviction and I would pay tribute to their courage.

“Police Scotland is absolutely committed tackling the criminal use of firearms, those who are involved in serious organised criminality and those individuals who engage in violence in our communities.”