The West of Scotland MSP said that family members and friends did have concerns for his safety, but he argued it was “academic” whether or not Burns was behind bars as he had been a target for wider crime networks, not just one individual.
The Scottish Conservative leader also criticised the parole process in Scotland, claiming it was “shrouded in secrecy”, and argued that the justice system in Scotland had “no real regard for the victim”.
Asked if he would forgive Burns for his crimes, Findlay said: “No.”
He explained: “What he did was calculated, it wasn’t some spontaneous crime… It was very targeted and extreme, and the outcome could have been my death or being maimed for life.
“So I have no tendency to forgive that individual.
“This is an enforcer, a hitman, for a major organised crime group in Scotland which has inflicted untold damage to many innocent people.”
Findlay also encouraged police and prosecutors to look at a number of unsolved murders in Paisley in the 1990s, claiming that Burns had “questions to answer” in relation to them.
