John Swinney to host youth violence summit after knife murders
First Minister John Swinney will host a summit to in a bid to prevent knife crime less than a month after a teenager was murdered on a beach.The Scottish government also pledged funding for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) will rise by 7% to more than £1.2m.Kayden Moy, 16, died in hospital following the attack in Irvine, which came two months after Amen Teklay, 15, was fatally stabbed in Glasgow.Police Scotland have made arrests in connection with both investigations.
On the same weekend Kayden was attacked there was also a stabbing at Portobello beach in Edinburgh, resulting in a 16-year-old being charged with attempted murder.Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said the incidents demonstrated the "tragic consequences" of carrying knives.The summit also comes ahead of a march against knife crime later this month.It has been organised by the family of Kory McCrimmon, who was 16 when he was fatally stabbed in May last year in a park in the city's east end.Last month a 14-year-old boy was locked up for five years for killing the teenager in fight over £50.
Despite the high-profile recent murders Police Scotland said that the total number of serious assaults by 11 to 18-year-olds fell 27% between 2019/20 and 2024/25 from 428 to 313.An additional £82,000 funding for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit was announced this week.Medics Against Violence also received an additional £345,000 while a further £156,000 has been awarded to the Mentors in Violence Prevention programme.The summit, on Thursday, will include the justice and education secretaries, ministers for children and for victims and community safety, cross-party MSPs, youth workers and community programmes.It follows discussions led by Swinney to hear young people and families' experiences and ideas on possible solutions.The event will focus on education and community engagement with young people and possible strategies to prevent them from turning to anti-social behaviour or carrying a weapon.
'No place for violence'
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: "Scotland remains a safe place to live."But more needs to be done to change the attitudes and behaviours of some who are at risk of violence, or young people considering carrying a weapon."There is no place for violence in Scotland and anyone who commits a crime will face the consequences."Ms Constance said it was vital to tackle the root causes of violence.She added: "We all must work together to help young people feel safe and realise that carrying a knife is never the answer."Three teenage boys - aged 14, 15, and 16 - have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Amen, an Eritrean refugee, in Glasgow on 5 March.Kayden Moy, of East Kilbride, was critically injured on Irvine Beach, North Ayrshire, on 17 May and died in hospital.In recent weeks, three teenage boys - two aged 17 and a 14-year-old - have appeared in court charged with his murder.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE A teen lottery winner, a vodka boss and Glasgow's Carmela Soprano: Meet the gangsters' molls embroiled in Britain's deadliest gang war
A former teenage lottery winner, a vodka boss and Glasgow's real-life Carmela Soprano are some of the gangster's molls embroiled in a deadly war on Britain's streets. Blood is being spilt as four clans fight over the alleged theft of £500k of cocaine from Ross 'Miami' McGill, a top-level Irish criminal based in Dubai also known as Mr Big. McGill, an ex-Rangers FC hooligan, blames two of Britain's most feared crime families - the Richardsons from Edinburgh and their Glasgow allies, the Daniels. He is backed by their enemies the Lyons gang, also from Glasgow and associates of the infamous Irish Kinahan Cartel. Last week the violence saw senior Lyons figures Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46, and Ross Monaghan, 43, shot dead by a masked hitman as they watched the Champions League final at an Irish bar on the Costa del Sol. But while the kingpins send out their armies on Britain and Spain 's streets, their wives and girlfriends are enjoying the trappings of a luxury lifestyle with mansions, Rolls-Royces and holiday villas. The main allure of this lifestyle is danger and power, the partner of a reformed Scottish gangster told MailOnline. She said: 'Someone who takes the lead and takes charge is attractive and sometimes that bad boy image makes you feel safe and makes you feel more feminine. 'Danger is a bit sexy too, like having sex in a balaclava.' The moll added: 'That goes back to dominance or an authority thing. I like a guy to be in charge and be in authority. For some women it's a protective thing that means they'll look after you. 'A lot of guys want a girl on their arms as part of a show tactic. They don't want to walk down the street with someone the size of a house. The guys want the best of birds because they've got it all and they can probably take their pick. 'Some of the uglier guys don't get glamorous girls unless they've got money or something, so it definitely helps them to look and feel good. They've got all the best designer gear too and the fancy watches and the whole family benefits and is respected better. 'They are famous in their own area like a film star. If you've made the money then you feel like you can get anything you want anyway, including a dolly bird on your arm. 'It's part of the package. Who wouldn't want a sexy girl by their side?' MailOnline has delved into five of the most glamorous Scottish gangsters' molls - each with their own experiences of love, loss and brushes with crime. From a four-way love war to 'fronting a vodka business for one of the most feared gangs in the world', these are the women behind the men who bring violence to the streets of Britain and beyond... Olivia Newall One of the most secretive molls is Olivia Newall, the girlfriend of Ross 'Miami' McGill, who is said to have started this deadly gang war. Newall has locked her social media profiles and there are few images of her online — perhaps in a bid to fly under the radar. Her cousin Lloyd Cross is the right hand man of Jamie 'Iceman' Stevenson and both men were jailed last year for their part in a £100m cocaine smuggling plot. Cross grew up less than a mile away from McGill in Glasgow and the two are known to be close friends. Like McGill, Newall's cousin was a Union Bear - a Rangers FC hooligan group. Yet although her family have had brushed with the law, Newall seems to be living the high life in Dubai with mob boss boyfriend 'Miami'. After achieving a higher national diploma in dental nursing from New College Lanarkshire, she is believed to have moved to the resort town of Estepona on the Costa del Sol, near Malaga. While there, she was pictured with her boyfriend McGill. These days the pair are understood to be living in Dubai. And despite keeping a low profile online, MailOnline has discovered the moll still jets around the world rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. In January, she was a bridesmaid at the wedding of former Premier League footballer John Fleck. She attended alongside her cousin Jilly Isabella Cross, a fashion influencer with 200,000 followers on Instagram. But despite her life in the sun 4,000 miles from Glasgow, her association with 'Miami' has come back to bite her. Just last week on May 28, her father's black cab was torched outside the Newall family home. Two days later, Eddie Lyons Jnr and Ross Monaghan were killed in Spain a few hours' drive from her old home. Nicola Cassells Nicola Cassells is believed to be one of the most connected molls in the Scottish underworld. First of all, she is the ex-girlfriend of John Bonner, a gangster who drove notorious Daniels enforcer Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll to an Asda car park where he was murdered in 2010 in what is one of the most infamous gangland hits in living memory. However, the mother-of-three has also allegedly slept with kingpin Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel, who was left with horrific scars after being chased down and slashed with a meat cleaver. More than that, she has also reportedly had a fling with David Togher of the Richardson gang. Speaking to MailOnline, a reformed gangster said: 'Everybody likes a bad boy, especially those who look like one. Birds don't always go for the pretty boys. 'They like the big fancy motors and the money coming in and like people to know they are going with someone important. Cassells is the ex-girlfriend of John Bonner, a gangster who drove Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll to an Asda car park where he was murdered in 2010 'Being the wife or girlfriend of an associate is just part of the culture here in the schemes. They are involved in the drugs war but that's just their business. 'They fight over their territory like anyone protecting their business. They just get their pals to work for them. 'These guys will meet someone of his own type who is streetwise. He'll always go for the nicest one in the scheme and will marry the most glamorous girl there. 'They all grow up together in the council schemes and work their way up to be lieutenants and associates. 'The girls love it cause they have a better lifestyle and they don't get too involved. 'They usually end up with tanning shops, hairdressing shops or beauty shops as a front though.' Nicola Morrissey Vodka boss Nicola Morrissey, 49, is the moll of 'Johnny Cash' Morrissey. 'Johnny Cash', so called because of his propensity to carry large wads of banknotes with him, is a mobster from the Kinahan cartel, a leading Irish organised crime group with ties to the Lyons in Glasgow. Johnny and his wife share a property empire while enjoying their Nero premium vodka business in the Costa Del Sol. Conservative MP and former crime journalist Russell Findlay, who was targeted in an acid attack by the gangs, told the Scottish Parliament in 2022: 'One Kinahan gang member who has been sanctioned [by US authorities in 2022] is John Morrissey, along with his Glasgow-based vodka company, Nero Drinks. 'The Kinahans are not interested in flogging vodka — their real business is cocaine and heroin. He and his wife share a property empire while enjoying their Nero premium vodka business in the Costa Del Sol. Father-of-two 'Johnny Cash' was arrested in 2022 on suspicion of money laundering 'It is widely known that the cartel is in partnership with Scotland's Lyons gang, making vast profits from killing Scots.' The US Treasury Department said Nero Drinks has been on its radar. A spokesperson said: 'John Morrissey controls and operates Nero Drinks through his wife, the primary shareholder, who is used as a frontperson for his interests.' Father-of-two 'Johnny Cash' was arrested in 2022 on suspicion of money laundering. Nicola was also arrested and bailed as part of the same probe. A raid of their home revealed luxury paintings and wads of cash, while Nicola's interview with Marbella magazine Exclusive Life revealed the true extent of their wealth. The glamorous WAG showed off her pearly whites as she posed beside a £350,000 Rolls-Royce Dawn in a long scarlet dress. In another photo she seemed to be wearing a diamond necklace as she stood in a plunging black dress next to a bottle of vodka and a plush dinner table beneath a chandelier. Kelly Bo Green Kelly Bo Green is the daughter of the late Daniel godfather Jamie Daniel, who died in 2016 from cancer. She was also the girlfriend of infamous Daniels enforcer Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll until his murder aged 29 in 2010 - a crime that Lyons gangster Billy 'Buff' Paterson, 45, was jailed for life over. Kelly Bo avoided jail herself in 2017 for shoplifting £800 of clothes from H&M shop. She is believed to be part of the same shoplifting gang that her aunt Annette Daniel, 63, is in. Annette has 22 convictions for shoplifting and has spent time in jail for theft. Kelly Bo and Gerbil's £217,000 home near Glasgow was seized after his death, forcing her to move out but just last month, her new home in Glasgow was set alight by McGill enforcers Tamo Junto (TMJ) as part of the ongoing gang war. Despite being part of the Daniel family, she remains most well known for her relationship with 'Gerbil'. As previously mentioned, his murder in 2010 was one of the most shocking underworld crimes in Scotland's history. He was famed for his 'alien abductions', in which rival gangsters were kidnapping, torturing and left half naked on the street, too scared or traumatised to reveal what happened. He built up a long list of enemies - so long in fact that when he was finally killed, the police noted down more than 100 potential suspects. By the time he was finally killed, he had already survived at least three previous assassination attempts. His decision to vandalise the gravestone of the late Eddie Lyons Jnr's brother Garry, who passed away aged eight from leukemia, is thought to be the reason why he was killed. On January 13, 2010, the 29-year-old father-of-two was driven to an Asda car park in Robroyston suburb of Glasgow by John Bonner, who's ex-girlfriend is serial gangster's moll Nicola Cassells. There, he was murdered in the 'most vicious and brutal' way, the judge in his murder trial said. Judge Lord Armstrong added: 'It was not a spontaneous event which happened on the spur of the moment, it was in effect an execution.' Bonner said at the trial that while trying to escape he accidentally pressed lock on the car's doors, trapping 'Gerbil' inside. Two masked gunmen carrying a Ruger .357 magnum revolver and Beretta 92F semi-automatic pistol shot 13 bullets in 25 seconds at 'Gerbil' as he sat in the back of dead his girlfriend's black Audi A3. Since the shooting, Carroll's girlfriend Kelly Bo Green, who is the daughter of the late crime boss Jamie Daniel, has continued to live surrounded by her own gangster family. She has at least two sons by 'Gerbil', who are now thought to be aged 21 and 16, as well as another child. Although images of the gangster's moll are rare, she was pictured at 'Gerbil's' funeral in tinted sunglasses and a black fur jacket. She told mourners at the time: 'He was a lover, a friend, he was my everything.' Caroline Stevenson Notorious crime boss Jamie 'Iceman' Stevenson, who has been dubbed the Scottish Tony Soprano, was jailed for 20 years in 2024 over a plot to import £100m cocaine disguised as bananas. The 59-year-old was finally brought to justice after a five-year police operation involving bananas from South America sent to a Glasgow fruit market, a Kent drugs factory and an Amsterdam brothel. His wife Caroline, 66, enjoys the pampered life of a mob spouse like Carmela Soprano from the hit HBO series and also runs a ice cream parlour in the Possilpark area of Glasgow. Caroline's social media is awash with images of her in designer clothes, flaunting her wealth. While her husband was on trial, she reportedly posted an image of a banana with the words 'bananas can put a smile on your face' and a caption of five laughing face emojis. Stevenson pleaded guilty mid-trial at the High Court in Glasgow in August to two charges - directing a serious criminal offence of importation of cocaine, and being involved in organised crime through production and supply of etizolam, known as street valium. The gangster and five of his associates are now behind bars for a total of 49 years after being snared as part of the joint Police Scotland and National Crime Agency probe, Operation Pepperoni. While her husband was on trial, Caroline reportedly posted an image of a banana with the words 'bananas can put a smile on your face' and a caption of five laughing face emojis The cocaine Stevenson tried to import was hidden in boxes of bananas bound for a fruit market in Glasgow Stevenson's gang had tried to import almost a tonne of cocaine, valued at roughly £100m Pictured are the crates of bananas stacked one on top of the other after being seized Jane Park Jane Park, 30, is most famous for being the UK's youngest Euromillions winner when she won £1million aged 17 in 2013 on a lucky-dip ticket. Since then, she appears to have had a colourful life - including being part of a gangland love war between two gangsters and a fellow moll. Park used to date Richardson mobster David Togher, who previously is thought to have slept with Nicola Cassells. However, Togher is believed to have cheated on Park with his friend Marc Webley's girlfriend Jodie Steele. Webley was also part of the Richardson crew and was jailed for 11 years in 2005 aged 19 for attempted murder after what was described as a failed gangland hit. After Togher was spotted with Steele, Euromillions winner Park started dating Webley, completing the partner swap between the two gangsters. Outside of her relationships with the two gangsters, Park's life has been an array of modelling gigs, motherhood and botched plastic surgery operations. When the former chip shop worker won the lottery in 2013, she vowed to spend it on a customised white Range Rover, a season ticket for her beloved Hibernian and a holiday in Ibiza with her friends. Yet shortly after bagging the fortune, she spent £4,500 on breast implants that took her from a 34B to a 36FF. Jane Park is most famous for being the UK's youngest Euromillions winner when she won £1million aged 17 in 2013 on a lucky-dip ticket David Togher reportedly cheated on Jane Park with his friend Marc Webley's girlfriend Jodie Steele (pictured) Pictured: Jane Park with Marc Webley from the Euromillions winner's tribute to her then-boyfriend after his death Read More EXCLUSIVE How Steven Gerrard's daughter became part of one of the most feared crime families in the world In 2017, a Brazilian butt lift almost cost her her life after she contracted sepsis. Two years later she revealed she was making money by selling racy topless pictures of herself on subscription site OnlyFans. Then in 2023 she told her 222,000 Instagram followers she had flown to Turkey for a second boob job and a round of liposuction. It was in the same year that her relationship with Richardson gangster Marc Webley came to an end when he was shot dead outside an Edinburgh pub on New Year's Eve. Webley had previously taunted his enemies in videos posted to social media, telling them: 'Come and get it... Still at the pub. Wee bit drunk so you'd be at an advantage.' She previously made headlines aged just 17 when she won £1million in the EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle in 2013 Park said she was 'absolutely devastated' by his death. In an Instagram story, she wrote: 'If I could cuddle you again and tell you everything is going to be OK I would give anything to do it Marc. 'The months we spent together taught me some valuable things in life and I'll never forget you. I am absolutely devastated. 'The best bed for you is up there my handsome [love heart emoji].' Jodie Steele Jane Park's former love rival is Jodie Steele, 41, from Edinburgh, who is also the mother of Richardson mobster Marc Webley's two sons. She was reportedly in a relationship with the attempted murderer for around 15 years. But while Webley was in jail, she is thought to have cheated on him with fellow Richardson gangster David Togher, who is currently her partner. Togher was himself only released from prison in 2023 after serving a six-year jail sentence for slashing the face of alleged heroin kingpin Sean 'Lugs' McGovern, 41, in Edinburgh in 2016. Jodie Steele, 41, from Edinburgh, is the mother of gangster Marc Webley's two sons Jodie Steele with Marc Webley and their two sons - the pair were said to have been in a relationship for 15 years While Webley was in jail, she is thought to have cheated on him with Richardson gangster and ex-soldier David Togher, who is currently her partner It is understood that while in prison, Togher and Steele would come together to visit Webley. Former undercover police officer Simon McLean infiltrated Scotland's gangs during his career as a cop. Speaking about Scottish gangsters' molls in general, McLean, who runs the Crime Time Inc podcast, said: 'It's all about the money and power. 'They're more sneaky and dishonest but their job is to look what's considered good in their world and do exactly as they're told - total abuse, control and very disposable. '[It's a] different world and culture. [Molls] are often shared and used as currency. They just use them: ''Take her for the night, it's part of the deal.'' 'It's all very pathetic. They come from the schemes. This is not class women we are talking about.' Steele's boyfriend Togher reportedly escaped an attack as part of the ongoing gang war earlier this year. Togher allegedly ran away from an armed thug who may have been targeting him.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Pedestrian in hospital after hit-and-run involving SUV in Scots town
Cops say the silver older-style SUV involved in the collision drove off. A man is in hospital after he was struck by an SUV in a hit-and-run in a Scots town. Emergency services raced to the incident on Park Road in Port Seton, East Lothian, at 1.20am on Sunday. Police and paramedics attended and the pedestrian, a 43-year-old man, was found injured. He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment. His current condition is unknown. Detectives are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. Particularly, they want those with dash-cam or CCTV footage to come forward. Detective Sergeant Garry Mauran said: "Our inquiries are at an early stage to establish the exact circumstances surrounding this incident and trace the driver and the car involved. "If you witnessed this take place or saw a silver car being driven erratically in the Port Seton area, please contact us. "Anyone in the area is asked to check their dashcam or personal footage and contact us if it holds anything that may be relevant to our investigation." Information should be passed to Police Scotland by phoning 101 quoting incident number 0264 of 8 June. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained. We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @Daily_Record - the official Daily Record Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and Record Online Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Michelle Mone makes 'millions in profits' after selling off Glasgow townhouses
The Scottish Mail on Sunday reports that Baroness Mone sold a £19m London townhouse and £6.8m Lady M Yacht last year. It comes after Glasgow-born Mone and her billionaire husband Doug Barrowman had £75m worth of assets frozen by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The couple are at the centre of a fraud probe over the firm PPE Medpro, controlled by Barrowman, that was awarded £203m worth of UK Government contracts through a 'VIP lane' during the Covid-19 pandemic. READ MORE: Supreme Court's sex ruling faces legal tests – will they succeed? In November 2023, Mone finally admitted her involvement with PPE Medpro for the first time, after years of denying any links to the company. It then emerged Barrowman was reportedly paid at least £65m from PPE Medpro's profits, later transferring £29m into a trust for Mone and her three adult children. Several properties were frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act in 2023. And now, Mone has reportedly sold her Glasgow homes. The Mail on Sunday reports that there is no suggestion any of the property sales breached any existing orders put in place by the NCA. One townhouse in Glasgow's plush Park Circus was bought by Barrowman's Knox business group for £1.7m in 2020. The couple have now reportedly sold this to a photographer for £2m last year. Another nearby townhouse was sold for £2.8m, allegedly to a Scottish musician, who was not named. It was bought in July 2020 for just over £1.4m. A spokesperson for the NCA confirmed an investigation is still ongoing into PPE Medpro. 'The NCA opened an investigation in May 2021 into suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement of PPE contracts by PPE Medpro,' they said. 'This ongoing investigation remains a priority for the agency. READ MORE: Scottish independence 'already begun as UK political culture diverges' 'Investigations must pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry. In serious economic crime investigations these lines of enquiry can be incredibly complex – from worldwide financial tracing exercises to the need to examine large volumes of digital material. 'In such cases it can take considerable time to ensure that a thorough, independent and objective investigation is conducted.' PPE Medpro is also being sued by the Department of Health and Social Care, amid claims that the gown supplied by the firm were not fit for use. We previously told how Mone accused the NCA of "smearing [her] as a criminal".
