
Edinburgh gangster Mark Richardson 'only allowing prison visits from right-hand man'
Feared Edinburgh mob boss Mark Richardson is only allowing his right-hand man to visit him in prison, we can reveal.
The kingpin's criminal empire has suffered a barrage of violent attacks since March including machete attempted murder bids, businesses and properties linked to him being firebombed and associates being targeted by masked gunmen.
The wave of attacks are believed to have been orchestrated by Dubai-based Ross McGill - a former Rangers ultra who fled to the middle east several years ago and has been backed by several underworld hoods.
After associates of Richardson, 38, supposedly paid for a stash of drugs with fake notes, McGill vowed to unleash violence on the mob boss and anyone associated with him, with friends and his former partner among those targeted in recent months.
In July, we told how McGill was 'lying low' for a while following a major crackdown on gang-related violence from police, who have made a total of 55 arrests as part of Operation Portaledge.
A source revealed McGill was running out of footsoldiers in the capital to do his bidding following a wave of arrests connected to physical attacks and firebombings on homes and vehicles.
(Image: Supplied)
A second source has now confirmed Richardson is only allowing his close associate David Togher to visit him behind bars.
In March it was claimed Togher was approached and chased in the street by machete-wielding thugs before managing to get away.
In 2017 Togher was jailed for six years for slashing a notorious gangland figure in a broad daylight attack in the city centre. The ex-soldier attacked Sean 'Lugs' McGovern before he was due to return to jail from home leave.
(Image: Daily Record)
Togher, who is understood to be one of Richardson's closest allies, is the only one allowed to visit him at HMP Low Moss and is also 'taking him DVD's in prison.
A source told Edinburgh Live: "It has all gone quiet recently but Togher is the only one Richardson is allowing to visit him in prison. He was taking him in DVDs and other items.
"Richardson is keeping his cards close to his chest. He is remaining tight-lipped regarding any mention of reprisal attacks for what has happened in recent months.
"One thing that is certain is Richardson thinks he has had the p**s taken out of him by McGill and there will be repercussions but he is keeping his nose clean in prison."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'I met the creepy doctor charged with supplying drugs to tragic Matthew Perry'
Dr. Salvador Plasencia, charged with supplying drugs to Matthew Perry, left one of his former patients 'with the creeps' after an 'odd' visit to his deserted surgery A reporter and super fan who was at Matthew Perry 's home hours after the star died says she met the doctor charged with supplying drugs to the star and he gave her the creeps. Katy Forrester has recalled what she saw the day the acting legend died back in 2023 - and the former patient of Dr. Salvador Plasencia says she knew something wasn't right about him. Matthew's doctor has pleaded guilty to supplying the Friends actor with ketamine before his tragic death. He admitted four counts to a federal court judge in Los Angeles last month, having branded the late actor a "moron" in text messages." He was one of five people who were charged in connection with the 54-year-old death two years ago. Now the former patient has given her account and says she had an 'incredibly odd' visit to the crooked physician. 'He'd given me the creeps,' the editor at The US Sun wrote. 'After filling out forms and heading into a private room, the same man then appeared in a white coat and joked he was not just the receptionist, he was also the doctor. 'When I realised who I'd been treated by and read the sweeping indictment, I felt slightly sick, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end." She went on to say in the article: "I have also witnessed the all-too-prevalent Hollywood culture of 'doctor shopping', which sees greedy, immoral doctors dishing out killer drugs to rich and famous addicts for a handsome profit." The actor was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles on October 28, 2023. He died at 4.17pm on the same day, aged 54. An investigation found the cause of Perry's death to be ruled as an accident from the 'acute effects of ketamine', the exact manner of which came from drowning. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's mega hit sitcom, but he struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on the show, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. California-based Plasencia had already been charged following the death of much-loved Matthew. He has pleaded guilty to four counts of illegal distribution of the drug, which is used as a prescription anaesthetic. Prosecutors said that he now faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced. He had previously pleaded not guilty, but in exchange for the guilty pleas prosecutors agreed to drop three additional counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of falsifying records. Prosecutors outlined the charges in court before the plea, and said along with Plasencia's lawyers that he did not sell Perry the dose that killed the actor. They described, and Plasencia admitted, that Perry froze up and his blood pressure spiked when the doctor gave him one injection, but Plasencia still left more ketamine for Perry's assistant to inject. In his memoir, he admitted that he struggled to watch Friends because it reminded him of the tough times he went through. 'I didn't watch the show, and haven't watched the show, because I could go, drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine,' he later added. 'I could tell season by season by how I looked. That's why I don't wanna watch it, because that's what I see.' Perry explained: 'I was taking 55 Vicodin a day, I weighed 128 lbs, I was on Friends getting watched by 30 million people — and that's why I can't watch the show, 'cause I was brutally thin." 'I had a rule that I would never drink or do drugs while working,' he said. 'Because I had too much respect for the five people I was working with. So I was never wasted while working.'


Times
6 hours ago
- Times
The $25m pink diamond scam: luxury cars and fake buyers
Dubai police have arrested a gang of criminals who posed as wealthy clients to steal a rare pink diamond worth $25 million from a jeweller. The three men had tracked the import of the diamond from Europe to Dubai, renting luxury cars and meeting the jeweller in hotels while posing as intermediaries for a wealthy buyer. As part of their ruse, the gang hired a diamond expert to examine the gem, in an effort to convince the jeweller of their seriousness. They lured him to a villa in Dubai to meet the supposed client, and stole the stone on his arrival. Police said the group planned to smuggle the gemstone to an Asian country in a small refrigerator. The pink diamond, which Dubai police said was incredibly rare, has been retrieved. CCTV images show the suspects entering the jeweller's premises CCTV shows one of the men at the jewellery shop before the planned theft In a statement, police said: 'As soon as the merchant reported the theft, a specialised task force was formed to identify and locate the three suspects, who initially lived together but separated after the heist and moved to different locations. Dubai police teams raided these locations simultaneously, apprehended the suspects, and recovered the diamond before it could leave the country.' According to officials, the 21.5-carat intense pink gem 'boasts exceptional clarity, symmetry, and polish, with an Excellent rating. Its extraordinary value and rarity made it a prime target, prompting the gang's elaborate efforts over an extended period.' Reports suggest the diamond is so rare, there is a '0.01 per cent' chance of finding another like it. Police entering the home of one of the suspects. The men were arrested at separate locations Such crimes are relatively uncommon in Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates that attracts millions of tourists each year with its glitzy nightlife and beaches. The country prides itself on being one of the world's safest, combining a laissez-faire approach to expatriates with strict laws on theft and drug use. Pink diamonds were historically mined in Australia's Argyle mine, which produced about 90 per cent of the world's supply before its closure in 2020. This is not the first time the scarcity of pink diamonds has tempted thieves. In the 1980s, a criminal network smuggled tens of millions of dollars worth of pink diamonds from the Argyle mine over five years, in what came to be known as the Pink Diamond Heist. Many of them have never been recovered.


Daily Record
6 hours ago
- Daily Record
Brutal attack outside Glasgow lap-dancing club captured on video
A local resident filmed the shocking incident from his window. Shocking footage shows a man seemingly being brutally attacked outside a Glasgow lap dancing club. Local resident Hugh May captured the horrific incident outside Seventh Heaven on Hope Street in the early hours of August 10, after hearing a commotion outside his window. The 39-year-old's video appears to show two men kicking and punching their victim, while a third watches on. Two of the three men then return to check on the man's condition and are seen attempting to help him up before leaving. Hugh said: "It seemed like the guy in the suit jacket got knocked out. 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'. I did see him getting checked on afterwards so I assume he's OK." Other people can be seen walking along the street without intervening or paying attention to the scene unfolding. Seventh Heaven made headlines in May this year, after a 56-year-old man died fell down its stairs and died. Emergency services attended, but he was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. The club later issued a statement confirming a man had died on the premises on May 24, and that it had fully closed and cooperated with the authorities. Police Scotland said there were not believed to be any suspicious circumstances relating to that incident, and the club reopened later the same day. The force also said it had not received any reports over the recent brawl outside the club.