Man in court following Edinburgh 'machete murder bid' on Mark Richardson friend
A man has appeared in court following the alleged 'attempted murder' of one of Edinburgh gangster Mark Richardson's top associates.
Anthony Brown, 49, was arrested and charged after police executed a warrant in Blantyre at around 9.45am on July 4. This comes after David McMillian, 54, was allegedly attacked with machetes outside his Pitcairn Grove home in Edinburgh on May 22, reports the Daily Record.
Brown appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday facing charges of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, attempted murder and being in possession of a blade. He made no plea, was committed for further examination and remanded in custody to appear again at the court within eight days.
Two men have already appeared in court over the incident. Arran Reid, 26, and Joshua Stewart, 20, made their first appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, June 17. Reid was charged with assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, attempted murder, reset, possession of blade, attempt to defeat ends of justice, possession of firearm and ammunition.
Stewart was charged with assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, attempted murder, reset and attempt to defeat the ends of justice. Both made no plea and were remanded in custody. Police Scotland also confirmed on Friday that they had made a further arrest in connection with Operation Portaledge, the investigation into gang-related incidents in the East and West of the country, bringing the total number to 52.
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
Officers also arrested a 22-year-old man on Thursday, July 3, in connection with wilful fire-raising to two vehicles on Campion Road and Niddrie Marischal Crescent in Edinburgh on June 9. He was released pending further enquiries.
Police launched a probe after a Transit van was targeted on Niddrie Marischal Crescent in the capital. Minutes prior, a Range Rover was torched outside another home on nearby Campion Road. This is the second arrest in connection with this incident.
A 17-year-old was also arrested and charged in connection with the incidents last week. He was released on an undertaking and is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.
Dubai-based gangster Ross McGill's faceless and frightening enforcers Tamo Junto (TMJ), claimed responsibility for the attacks in a video shared shortly after the attacks. The footage showed flames bursting out of the Range Rover and the Ford Transit van. In one clip a hooded figure can be seen standing with an accelerant canister before he backs away from the fireball.
Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
The video played the song Two Tribes by 80s pop group Frankie Goes to Hollywood and ended with emojis of a black pawn chess piece and a sand timer appearing side by side. The Transit van was blown up at a home linked to Richardson's pal Paddy Beatson, on Niddrie Marischal Crescent which had been attacked twice previously in recent months.
The attacks are part of a series of violent incidents across Scotland after a major turf war kicked off in March. The ongoing feud was sparked after Richardson's men bought £500k of cocaine from McGill with fake cash.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Statesman
an hour ago
- New Statesman
The mutation of jihad
Photo by Wakil Kohsar/AFP We fear the wrong terror. This week marked the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings. But the spectacular terror of international jihad has significantly abated. In 2022, the UK downgraded its terrorism threat level from 'severe' to 'substantial', and MI5 director Ken McCallum observed in 2024 that terrorist threats had diminished during his time at the service. Attacks claimed by Islamic State group (IS) have fallen from almost 4,000 in 2018 to around 600 so far this year. And they are less likely to be of immediate concern to Western countries. Almost 90% of the group's violence now takes place in remote parts of Africa. A report published this week highlighted a newer danger: hostile governments are equipping themselves to execute professional attacks on British soil. The study by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, which Keir Starmer saw before publication, investigated Iran. It counted at least 15 attempted murders or abductions of British nationals or UK-based citizens since 2022, and designated the Iran one of the biggest threats to the UK, next to Russia and China. But it should not be news that the threat of state-sponsored, professional killings has been increasing in recent years should not be news. In 2024, MI5 admitted a 48 per cent rise in state-instigated assassination attempts on UK soil. But the only such incident to gain real cut-through was the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in 2018. Jihad is changing its face. In recent years, jihadist and Islamist groups that have embraced more pragmatic, local agendas have tended to flourish. Meanwhile, supporters of more extreme jihadist ideologies – groups like IS and al-Qaeda which once posed significant threats to the West – are foundering. In 2001, al-Qaeda executed the grandest and most famous assault the West had ever seen on its own land. The 2017 attacks on Westminster Bridge and London Bridge represented a transition to less complicated methods, such as stabbings and driving vans into crowds. IS was encouraging followers to use whatever equipment they can get their hands on. Now, commenters on GeoNews, the main al-Qaeda chat room, are wont to take a despairing tone; in late April this year, one commenter reflected 'Jihadism goes nowhere, it didn't achieve anything… it's like digging in water… The best that can happen is like [what happened in] Syria'. Since the December 2024 overthrow of the al-Assad government, Syria has been ruled by Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known by his military name Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Al-Sharaa's regime has dismayed Islamist hardliners by distancing itself from typical jihadist and Islamist demands, such as rigorous application of Sharia law. Instead it has loudly touted its respect for religious minorities, with a programme more reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire's 'millet' ('personal law') decentralisations, which gave religious communities a degree of local autonomy. Al-Sharaa has even shaken the investment tin to the US and other Western powers. And, perhaps most controversially, his government is signalling openness to normalising ties with Israel, its arch-foe. Unburdened of US sanctions, Syria's economy is expected to begin the slow path to recovery. Al-Sharaa has generally prioritised winning international credibility as a competent and pragmatic leader over governing by strict Islamic principles. He has proposed plans to privatise state-controlled infrastructure and made overtures to foreign investors. Government officials have stated intentions to model Syria's future on service-based economies like Singapore. It is a surprising posture. Historian Djene Rhys Bajalan has coined the term 'Salafi Neoliberalism' to describe the strange new synthesis of 'malls and mosques'. Other media outlets have described it as 'Islamist technocracy', pointing to the equal centrality of technocratic institutions and conservative social mores. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Before Syria, there was Afghanistan. Despite being spurned by the international community for its deeply regressive social policies, hardcore jihadists had condemned the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan after its 2021 takeover as too lax. IS's local wing and its affiliated media regularly scorn the Taliban, holding that the group has abandoned jihad, failed to implement Sharia and allied itself with enemy foreign powers. Accepting national borders and engaging in diplomacy is considered anathema to IS's vision of global jihad. Taken as evidence of ideological compromise was the Taliban's removal from Russia's list of terrorist organisations. And this week, on 9 July, Afghanistan posted an extraordinary tourism advert online, which opens with a shot of five turbaned men behind three kneeling hostages. The leader says 'we have one message for America', then pulls off the hood of the central hostage, revealing a beaming Westerner who shouts, 'Welcome to Afghanistan!' Of course, all sorts of propaganda will be used in service of attracting tourism; but this is nonetheless a sea change from the autarkic Taliban regime of the 1990s. Affiliates of al-Qaeda now appear poised to make a definitive break with the transnational jihadist model most infamously espoused by Islamic State (IS). Al-Qaeda affiliates in Yemen (AQAP) and Somalia (Al-Shabaab) have showed signs of being willing to collaborate with the Iran-backed Houthis, traditionally an ideological foe. In Yemen in April, a former al-Qaeda member rebranded innocuously as the Movement for Change and Liberation, a new, locally focused party. The affiliate in West Africa's Sahel region, JNIM, is perhaps the most likely to split from al-Qaeda's central structure next: media branding changes, such as the removal of JNIM's logo, suggest a split from the wider North African branch, AQIM. In February, one al-Qaeda supporter wondered in the GeoNews chatroom why 'JNIM want to separate from [al-Qaeda]?… It's sad'. JNIM's drift away from al-Qaeda may allow it to more openly collaborate with other non-jihadist militant groups such as Tuareg separatists. JNIM has also reportedly signalled willingness to combine forces with non-jihadist armed groups in the Sahel, such as the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), against common enemies in the region (predominantly the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso). Burkina Faso's military junta plainly considers the Taliban and JNIM entirely separate entities, meeting with the former in May while engaged in a bloody war with the latter. What is left of IS itself has blamed the West for the move away from jihadism and toward more palatable alternatives in order to undermine them and lure Muslims from the 'true' path. One high-profile IS supporter posted on Facebook, '[the US] gave Afghanistan to Taliban… and Syria to [al-Sharaa's] HTS which converted to secularism'. Devoted IS supporters see more pragmatic Islamist movements like HTS as enforcers of the West's war on terrorism who are beholden to Western interests, rather than being committed to applying Shariah by the letter. Al-Naba, IS's weekly newspaper, has recently struck a downbeat tone. An early July editorial worried about low morale and a wavering commitment to global jihad. Several other recent editorials have all but admitted that the group is on the backfoot, especially in its Middle Eastern heartlands, where its attacks have dropped significantly in recent years. Transnational jihadism – an ideology that has demonstrated remarkable tenacity throughout the first quarter of the 21st century – may be about to turn a corner. As US power retreats, those who might have been attracted to confronting American imperialism are concerned by other questions. International terrorist imperatives are being subordinated to domestic, material issues. At least for now, the success of the local appears to be global jihadism's loss. [See also: Netanyahu bends the knee for Trump] Related
Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
He filled in for his sick colleague. When his van was checked by authorities he regretted it
He filled in for his sick colleague. When his van was checked by authorities he regretted it It was 'through no fault' of the warehouse worker that he accidentally committed a criminal offence, his solicitor said Total Asia Food Cardiff in Lyon Close, Grangetown, Cardiff (Image: Google ) A warehouse worker agreed to fill in for a sick colleague by taking over a delivery. After authorities stopped him mid-route he ended up with a criminal conviction. Mathew Jenkins, a 37-year-old employee of wholesaler Total Asia Food Cardiff, got behind the wheel of a van overloaded with food products on March 26 and fell foul of a routine check by officers from the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency). His solicitor Craig Bond said: "He had worked there for six months and he still does. He works in the warehouse but on this day the driver was ill. "He was asked if he would drive the vehicle from Cardiff to Swansea. The vehicle was already loaded when he got in. "It would appear there was a routine check from the DVSA, which had organised a series of checks for that day." Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here. David Haines-Burke, of the DVSA, told Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates' Court the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van was stopped at Miskin, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and found to be "laden" with food products. Article continues below The manufacturer's plate on the van showed its weight should not exceed 3,500kg but the DVSA officers recorded a weight of 4,600kg. Mr Haines-Burke said overloading can put "undue pressure" on tyres and reduce a vehicle's ability to stop. Jenkins, of Bluebell Drive in Llanrumney, Cardiff, and his employer Total Asia Food Cardiff both pleaded guilty to breaching road vehicles regulations. "He has no previous convictions," said Mr Bond. "He was very nervous about coming to court today. "To be fair his depot manager Mr Lee has attended court today – partly on behalf of the company but partly because he feels responsible for Mr Jenkins being here. "He asked Mr Jenkins to stand in as a delivery driver and through no fault of Mr Jenkins he has been involved in this offence." Mr Bond, who also represented the Grangetown-based company, went on: "This was a one-off incident. The food delivery company uses a forklift that weighs products that go into the back of the Sprinter van. "The forklift was broken on the day and unfortunately the system used was to estimate the amount of product by the human eye. Clearly that estimation was totally wrong and the company apologises." The solicitor said the forklift has been repaired and the company has brought in a policy that drivers must sign to confirm a vehicle is compliant whenever it is loaded. He assured the court the crime would not be repeated. Article continues below The court heard Jenkins earns £1,500 a month. Presiding Justice Jeffrey Edwards took this into account and handed him a £346 fine, £147 in prosecution costs, and a £138 victim services surcharge. The company was ordered to pay a £880 fine, £324 in prosecution costs, and a £352 victim services surcharge.
Daily Record
9 hours ago
- Daily Record
Cops searching for man who helped woman after serious sexual assault in Scots town
Cops are still investigating a sickening incident in Dumfries just over a month ago. Police are looking to speak to a heroic man who stopped to help a woman following a shocking sexual assault in a Scots town. Cops are still investigating a sickening incident in Dumfries just over a month ago. Around 9.45pm on Saturday, June 7, a woman was sexually assaulted within a close on High Street. Detectives have been trying to piece together what happened and have combed through CCTV. They believe the man could be key to helping with their probe into the serious sexual assault. 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'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. person responsible. "We have carried out extensive enquiries so far, including reviewing CCTV, and I believe this man may be able to assist with our investigation and I would urge him to get in touch with us. 'If anyone who was in the area at this time has private CCTV, doorbell or dash-cam footage from that evening, please check for anything which may be of significance and contact police.' Anyone with information is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 3716 of 7 June. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555 111.
