Latest news with #Bonzo
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside notorious crime boss Steven ‘Bonzo' Daniel's rise to power – and the brutal machete attack that left him for dead
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) May 18th, 2017 started off as just another day for gangland hood Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel. But little did he know he was about to be left brutally scarred and fighting for his life. Every move he made was being watched, every turn tracked by ruthless enemies hungry for power. 12 Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel pictured after the brutal assassination bid 12 CCTV shows the moment Bonzo was chased in his taxi during a deadly hunt from rivals From the stands of Ibrox watching Rangers play Aberdeen, Bonzo left the game, dropping off taxi tycoon pal Stevie 'The Fat Controller' Malcolm on the way home. But the quiet Glasgow streets soon transformed into a deadly hunting ground. An Audi S3 and a VW Golf materialized in his rearview mirror – the rival Lyons gang, relentless in their pursuit. They knew his every move, thanks to tracking devices hidden on his vehicle. A high-speed chase erupted, tearing through the city, red lights ignored as two worlds collided. From Milton to the M8 at Port Dundas, the 100 miles per hour pursuit escalated until Bonzo crashed on a ramp, trapped. What followed was a brutal, targeted assault. Cleavers, machetes, a claw hammer – wielded with savage intent. Bonzo's face became a canvas of carnage: deep lacerations, a nose left hanging, damage so severe police initially mistook it for a gunshot wound. With fractured bones and a dislocated skull – Bonzo was left for dead, his attackers vanishing into the night. This is the story of Glasgow's 'Scarface' - Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel. HEIR TO THE THRONE By the time of the brutal execution attempt, Bonzo had risen to the head of the notorious Glasgow crime clan the Daniels - amassing an intricate web of allies as he sought to take the criminal empire from strength to strength. He took over the reins following the death of his uncle, feared crime boss Jamie Daniel a year earlier. Jamie - who at one stage had amassed an empire worth £10million - began his criminal career dealing in used cars and scrap metal in Glasgow's Possilpark. He and his brothers formed a major heroin syndicate - which went on to wage a deadly drugs war in Glasgow with bitter enemies the Lyons family - led by Godfather Eddie Lyons Senior. 12 Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel rose to the top of his family's notorious crime clan 12 Jamie Daniel had amassed a wide-spanning criminal empire before his death 12 Eddie Lyons Senior, the godfather crime boss of the rival Lyons clan Credit: The Sun But his world came crashing down when, in 2010, was diagnosed with cancer, before eventually passing away in July 2016. The 58-year-old's death sparked fears the clan would plummet into civil war as rivals battled to seize control. But Bonzo - son of crime queen Annette Daniel, Jamie's sister - took charge, calling the shots as he ran their multi million pound drug dealing empire and legitimate businesses - - making him the obvious target for the rival Lyons clan hoping to take over the Glasgow drugs trade. Bonzo was born into crime and has lived that life but some underworld sources claim it's not a natural fit for him. 12 Bonzo's mum, crime queen Annette Daniel 12 Francis 'Fraggle' Green was viewed by some as a more obvious head of the Daniel clan His cousin Francis 'Fraggle' Green - son of Jamie - is viewed by some as a more obvious head of the family. One source said: "Because of Bonzo's nickname and what happened to his face he gets most of the attention. "But many think Fraggle is the more natural crime boss. "Bonzo would rather spend time with his partner and kids and go to Ibrox to watch his beloved Rangers than be mired in feuds and constantly looking over his shoulder. "But given who his relatives are there was never any realistic prospect of a normal life. "He obviously has connections to some very dangerous people so he'll always get respect through that. "But he's not a wild gangster type who flaunts violence and wealth. That's not his style." BONZO BUTCHERED His rise to the top of the crime family wasn't short of drama. He was lucky not to be jailed after being cleared following a major probe into the Daniel crime clan which saw his cousin Zander Sutherland - his uncle Jamie's son - jailed for drug dealing in June 2015. And his brother Robert, a convicted drug dealer, was ambushed by a gang of gunmen during a drive-by shooting in Stepps, just outside Glasgow in 2017. Within weeks, the Lyons had turned their attention to Bonzo… knowing the execution of the kingpin could unravel the rival empire - a prime opportunity to take control of the drugs trade. 12 Bonzo was chased in his taxi at speed of up to 100mph 12 Bonzo was left maimed and narrowly escaped alive After being left maimed by the gang and narrowly escaping alive, Bonzo was taken to the nearby Royal Infirmary — where a team led by Dr Mark Ansell saved his life with 12 hours of surgery. The world-renowned surgeon would later tell how Bonzo's face was so mangled he had to insert a tube in his throat to help him breathe. Dr Ansell said: 'His nose was hanging off on the left-hand side, near to his left ear. 'He had extensive injuries, all located in the mid-face area.' Driver Mohammad Khan, who stopped to help the stricken ex-taxi boss, said: 'His face was in a mess, a total mess. His face was hanging off, you could see his nose bone. 'He couldn't speak. I thought he was going to die.' Bonzo would later undergo around 40 hours of pioneering surgery over the course of two years to save his butchered face. An underworld insider at the time told The Scottish Sun: 'Bonzo is extremely lucky to be alive. 'It's a painstakingly slow process, but his face is now being put back together by one of the best surgeons in the world. 'The scarring to his face has already improved massively but there is still a long way still to go.' Among the brutal facial reconstruction ops Bonzo has endured included inserting metal plates and screws to eye sockets and re-attaching his nose. A titanium mesh was put into his skull, Bonzo's upper and lower jaw were reconnected, deep cuts across his cheeks were repaired and his damaged ears were operated on. In the period following the attack, Bonzo was guarded round the clock amid fears of another attempt on his life. A cop patrol car was also stationed outside his home in the Bishopbriggs area of the city. LYONS IN THE DOCK And detectives soon had their first breakthrough when a car used in the assassination attempt was later found in Forge Street, in the Germiston area of Glasgow. A second car was later found alight in Balmuildy Road, Bishopbriggs. Officers swooped on properties across the city and six members of the Lyons gang were arrested. 12 A burnt out car was found - before cops swooped on properties linked to the Lyons clan 12 Robert Pickett, Andrew Gallacher, Brian Ferguson, Andrew Sinclair, John Hardie and Peter Bain were all jailed Brian Ferguson, Andrew Gallacher, Robert Pickett, Andrew Sinclair, John Hardie, and Peter Bain, were all put in the dock at the high court in Glasgow, accused of trying to kill members of the Daniel clan. The trial lasted 14 weeks and cost the taxpayer £6m. The six men were all convicted of conspiracy to murder . Brian Ferguson , Andrew Gallacher, and John Hardie were all jailed for 20 years. Robert Pickett was locked up for 16 years while Peter Bain was sentenced to 15 years - and turned to give the thumbs up to someone in the gallery as he was handed his sentence - while Andrew Sinclair was jailed for 13 years and three months. Lord Mulholland told them: 'Steven Daniel gave evidence and said that he was not aware of a feud between the Lyons and Daniel families. 'I did not believe a word and, more importantly, neither did the jury.' 12 Ross 'Miami' McGill is now waging war Bonzo's brazen testimony underscored the belief the feud would be settled on the streets - rather than in the courtroom - highlighting the deep-seeded animosity between the two clans and the desire for revenge. And while the members of Lyons gang were put away for a long time, Bonzo fought back to lead the Daniel Crime clan - which is once again locked in an explosive battle with their rivals - led by Steven Lyons, and Dubai based gangster Ross 'Miami' Mcgill. McGill - a former chief of the Union Bears - has waged a several-month long gang war spilling out across central Scotland over a half a million pound cocaine deal - which has seen shootings, machete attacks, and homes torched and firebombed over the battle for control of drug trade.
Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Unlike you chimps, I always do my own thing
No doubt you saw the story about the monkeys in Zambia who put blades of grass in their ears as a fashion thing. Chimps, I think they were. Yes, I know they're apes, not monkeys. But they're bloody monkeys. Like ponies are horses and whales are fish and tomatoes are vegetables. Up my end of the food chain, I'm not going to worry about offending no monkey. It's not like I'm being racist. They're just monkeys. I am human, I am king, and chimpanzees are whatever I say they are. If they want to argue with me, they can evolve some more and come back to the table. I say what I want, and I do what I want. I go my own way. I don't have to call chimps 'apes' just because everyone else does. Any more than I'm going to read Fifty Shades of Grey or Harry goddam Potter just because ten million other monkeys have. Everyone reading the same old rubbish just because it's popular is how you end up with The Salt Path. And if I were an ape, let me tell you, I wouldn't be putting a blade of bloody grass in my ear just because Bonzo was doing it. I would have more dignity. Bonzo, after all, is also throwing his faeces around, eating bugs off his best mate's arse and frantically whacking off in public. • Chimpanzees fall for futile 'fashions', just like humans But when the story broke about a chimp sticking a blade of grass in its ear at some nature reserve and then five others picking up the habit within weeks, people went wild. Not as wild as chimps, leaping around like idiots, spanking their own heads with their ridiculously long arms and screeching, with their lips peeled back round their ears, but very much the modern media equivalent. 'Primatologists believe it may say something profound about the origins of human culture,' wrote our science editor, and within minutes I was being asked on the radio what hilarious things I had done in my life just because everyone else was doing them. None, I told them. I am not a monkey. 'Sure,' they said. 'But what crazy item of clothing did you wear in your teens just because it was all the rage?' None, I said. I already told you, I'm not a monkey. I have never worn any item of clothing for any reason, at any age, except that it kept the rain off and didn't itch too much (I am also able to wear pants, in case you were wondering, after the Gregg Wallace revelations). 'Fashionable haircut?' They asked. Nope. Never had one of those. In fact, I grew a short beard in 1998 purely because no other man in England wore one at that time. People said, 'That's risky, girls don't like beards.' But I told them, 'Wrong, most girls don't like beards. But the small number who do will have no one to go to but me.' It's not that I am a deliberate contrarian. I just do not believe that my fellow men make their best decisions as a group. If I did, I would have a tattoo, like everyone else. All these morons with their 'sleeves' and misspelt Sanskrit, their slag tags and their tramp stamps, they could no more explain why they got them than those chimpanzees could tell you why they put grass in their ears. But at least the chimps can take the grass out when they're bored with it. Even a monkey wouldn't stick it in so deep it stayed there forever. By the same token, I don't read popular books or go to popular films or listen to popular music. Or any kind of music. Or dance. Because music and dance are grunting communal activities contrived to unite us at the lowest common denominator of the species. To turn us, in short, back into monkeys. Keep us in our place. I've never been to a festival or even a so-called 'gig', because a place where everyone is on the same wavelength, marching to the same beat, gives me the willies. Same reason I've never been to a Nazi rally. Or on a march or any sort of protest. Yes, I can see that you've all got the protest grass in your monkey ears, but I'm fine as I am. • Rewriting Orwell's rules for the perfect pub — with London's best landlord I don't go to stand-up comedy either, because if everyone around me is laughing, I don't just laugh along like a chimpanzee, I look first for a weapon and then for the exit. Load of middle-class Norberts whooping like monkeys because Jack Whitehall is saying something hilariously true about the hummus aisle at Waitrose? That's a blade of grass that is not going in this earhole, no matter how many of you do it. Did you vote for Brexit? Me neither. Nobody did. And yet everyone did. Because while individually we are a smart, perceptive species, collectively we are an idiot. And my children don't put grass in their ears either, thank God. Do your kids have smartphones? Mine don't: 14 and 12 and they don't want them. Because they have looked around and seen what morons it has made of their peer group. They've seen the grass in the other monkeys' ears and said 'no thanks'. Friends ask me, 'Don't you want your kids to be normal? Don't you want them to fit in?' And I reply: 'With whom? The other monkeys? The ones in evolutionary reverse? Er, no.' I sometimes wonder where my reluctance to stick grass in my ear began. I wonder if it's because if you grow up short, Jewish, myopic and left-handed in a tall, gentile, right-handed, well-sighted world, you're already missing so many blades of grass there is no point trying to catch up. The only blade of grass I ever did put in my ear was the booze blade. That did help me briefly get into the music/nightclub/social thing. Off my noodle on gin, I at least looked like I had grass in my ears. But that turned out not to be good for me in other ways. • Ozzy Osbourne's masterstroke: painting with a band of chimps And then if you end up a writer, well, it's no good having the same blade of grass in the same ear as everyone else. No one will pay you for that. If you want to make the big bucks, you've got to have a huge, long, curly-wurly blade of bright blue neon sticking out of your ear, so that all the other monkeys shout, 'Hey, Bonzo, have you seen what Coren's got in his ear this week? It's massive! And blue! And completely wrong but funny and kind of compelling! That's the thing about Coren: he puts things in his ear that other people are afraid to put in their ears, that's why I buy The Times.' But am I happy? I have looked down all my life on all you monkeys with grass in your ears, whooping and hollering and flinging your poo around, and been paid well to do it. But I do sometimes wonder if I might have had a better time just sticking a blade in my own lughole and getting on with it. Listen to Giles discussing his columns on his podcast, Giles Coren Has No Idea
Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
MMI's Kortney Lane-Schafers Named a 2025 Most Powerful Woman in Fintech by PROGRESS in Lending
- MMI's VP of Growth & Client Advocacy is recognized for her transformative leadership, customer-first approach and role in shaping the future of mortgage technology - SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 24, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — MMI ( Mobility Market Intelligence ), the sole provider of a unified mortgage technology solution for the lending and real estate finance industry, proudly announces that Kortney Lane-Schafers, Vice President of Growth & Client Advocacy, has been recognized as a 2025 Most Powerful Woman in Fintech by PROGRESS in Lending. Each year, PROGRESS in Lending honors standout leaders who are transforming the financial services landscape through innovation, collaboration, and influence. The 2025 list celebrates women who are not only driving results but also helping shape a smarter, more connected fintech ecosystem. 'Kortney brings a rare combination of strategic clarity, deep empathy, and real-world execution to everything she touches,' said Ben Teerlink, CEO and Founder of MMI. 'She understands exactly what lenders need to succeed—across platforms, partnerships, and people—and she delivers with care and consistency. This recognition reflects the standard she sets for all of us.' With 15 years of experience at the intersection of fintech and mortgage lending, Lane-Schafers has helped define what true client advocacy looks like in an industry undergoing rapid digital transformation. In her role at MMI, she leads customer growth initiatives and enterprise enablement across the company's integrated ecosystem—which includes MMI's Data Center for market intelligence and recruiting, Bonzo for personalized engagement and automation, and MonitorBase for predictive borrower insights. She works closely with lenders of all sizes—from national brands to local leaders—to help teams fully adopt and scale these tools, driving smarter outreach, stronger relationships, and measurable business growth. Whether rolling out enterprise strategies or delivering branch-level support, her commitment to real results has made her a trusted advisor and a force for progress. Kortney is also a sought-after speaker and advocate for thoughtful, human-centered technology. Her voice continues to help shift industry dialogue away from siloed systems toward more unified, customer-first platforms that empower loan officers, marketers, and leadership teams alike. About MMI MMI delivers the industry's only unified mortgage technology solution through its Lead-to-Loan-to-Lifetime Loyalty Growth System, powered by MMI's Data Center, MonitorBase, and Bonzo. By combining market intelligence, borrower alerts, and personalized outreach at scale, MMI helps lenders uncover hidden opportunities and trigger campaigns with precision timing, targeting, and messaging. Launching soon, Pathways Home extends this ecosystem by reconnecting homeowners to their equity, goals, and local experts—long after closing. Learn more at or contact [email protected]. NEWS SOURCE: Mobility Market Intelligence ### MEDIA ONLY CONTACT: (not for publication online or in print) Brian Vacanti VP of Marketing (720) 369-8500 [email protected] ### Keywords: Mortgage, Kortney Lane-Schafers of MMI, Most Powerful Woman in Fintech, PROGRESS in Lending, Fintech, Mortgage, Housing, Real Estate, Lending, Loan Officers, SALT LAKE CITY, Utah This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Mobility Market Intelligence) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P127108 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Daily Record
Gangster Bonzo Daniel back in Glasgow as Dubai Mr Big's hitmen track every move
Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel is believed to have returned to Glasgow in recent weeks. Glasgow crime clan boss Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel has returned to Glasgow as underworld sources warn footsoldiers ordered to kill him are tracking his hood fled to the middle east last month after thugs working for a Dubai-based Mr Big orchestrating gang wars in Scotland firebombed his house in is at the top of Mr Big's list of high-profile targets and a £100k bounty has been placed on his head. He is wanted over his links to Edinburgh mob boss Mark Richardson, who sparked a feud with Mr Big after his cronies are understood to have ripped the gangster off in a £500k drug deal.A source told the Record Bonzo has been forced to return home to protect his family and business interests after they suffered a spate of targeted Rangers-daft hood has since been spotted at Ibrox and in Possilpark area of the city in recent weeks. The source said: " Bonzo is home and has been for the past few weeks."His return makes him the number one target for Mr Big's enforcers again since he is head of the Daniel clan at the moment."Mark Richardson is obviously up there as well, but he is inside, so Big wants Bonzo dead and his crew are desperate to claim his scalp."Big's henchmen, a faceless and fearless group called Tamo Junto (TMJ), are understood to be watching Bonzo's every move as they wait for the moment to strike. The source added: "They first learned he was back home when he was spotted at Ibrox at the Celtic game and then he was seen in Possilpark the following day, so they have been following him ever since. "They know everything about his movements and haven't ruled out going after him at a Rangers game, but attacking him at Ibrox with the amount of police there would be difficult." Bonzo doesn't take many risks. He apparently has a panic room in his house and he had steel bollards put in outside after a motor was rammed into it years ago."He even enters and exits his house through his garage after he parks his car."Scotland's ongoing gang war appeared to have settled in recent weeks, but the feud was reignited after Bonzo and Richardson's crews set up an Instagram page to unmask Mr Big, who the Record cannot name for legal reasons. The account, which shared the kingpin's passport photo, also branded him a "shitebag" and claimed he "ran away" from rivals after a chance encounter in Dubai. The source said the page enraged Big, who reacted by ordering fresh hits on his enemies and their close associates. On Tuesday, we reported that Bonzo's cousin Kelly 'Bo' Green's home on Drumchapel Road in Glasgow was attacked in the early hours of the morning. Kelly, 45, is the daughter of late kingpin Jamie Daniel and she is the widow of crime clam enforcer Kevin 'the Gerbil' Carroll who was famously shot dead in an Asda car park in Robroyston in 2010. Last week, a property on the same street as Richardson's family home was attacked. The house, located on Cumnor Crescent in Edinburgh, was targeted on Saturday night, with a female relative of Richardson's understood to still reside on the street. The extent of the damage to the property is currently days earlier, Tamo Junto claimed credit for targeting the plush Edinburgh home of his close pal David McMillan snr for the second time in three yobs wearing face coverings torched a luxury white Land Rover Defender in the driveway of the property after his family returned from a shopping source added: "Bonzo and Richardson's crowd have been circulating fake stories about Mr Big in Dubai."Mr Big is rarely seen in public because he knows the likes of the National Crime Agency will be out there watching him like a hawk. "All they are really doing is winding up Mr Big even more. Look what has happened in the last week and half since they created the fake social media page that identified him."This is going to go on for a long time, or at least until Mr Big can start claiming heads. Grudges in the underworld last forever and don't stop until either side is completely wiped out."
Scottish Sun
12-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Scots crime boss Steven ‘Bonzo' Daniel has ‘truce talks' rejected by Dubai-based mobster driving gangland turf war
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A DUBAI-based fugitive dubbed Miami has rejected gang turf war peace talks with Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel, underworld sources have claimed. Sources say the head of the notorious Daniel crime clan has made several attempts through third parties to call a halt to the war being waged across Scotland. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel has made efforts to call peace, underworld sources claim. Credit: Spindrift 5 The mob dubbed Tamo Junto have claimed responsibility for a wave of attacks 5 Mark Richardson's associates have been targeted by marauding hoods. 5 Three thugs were filmed bursting into a home on Saturday. But the desert-based hood said to be orchestrating a wave of attacks on Daniel associates and anyone with ties to crime kingpin Mark Richardson, 38, isn't for talking. Claims of a truce bid emerged as three thugs were filmed bursting into an Edinburgh home in a sickening daylight raid on a pal of Richardson's. It's the latest in a relentless campaign of violence that was sparked amid claims of a dodgy cocaine deal that infuriated the Dubai gang boss and former Union Bears ultra who is on the run from Scots cops. An insider said: 'Bonzo has reached out a few times looking to call for peace. 'Bonzo has tried to contact him through a few different people since this has started. 'He's never spoken to him directly on the phone about it. 'But the Dubai guy has made it clear he is not interested because he thinks Bonzo was aware of the dodgy drug deal 'He's also said that if Bonzo wants to use Richardson's name to people for protection then he's involved in anything that Mark and his mates do. 'Bonzo is denying any involvement in the robbery and is saying his family have nothing to do with it. 'A lot of his relatives have no involvement in crime and can't understand why they have been targeted.' Explosive Edinburgh gang turf war battles blitzed by armed cops as police try to take control of conflict We told earlier how sick mobsters smashed their way into a home in the latest attack linked to Scotland's relentless gangland turf war. Three armed thugs were filmed breaking into the house in Edinburgh thought to be connected to pal of crime kingpin Richardson. Cops today confirmed they are probing the terrifying rain which happened at 6pm on Saturday. A video of the brazen assault has been circulated and includes the dance track Find You by German producer and DJ Zedd. The masked trio pounced in the Niddrie area with one seen battering the door with what looks like a hammer while others burst their way into the house through the living room window. A source said: 'This gang war is showing no sign of stopping and this latest attack shows what lengths these people are willing to go to.' A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'We were made aware of entry being forced to a property at Campion Road in Edinburgh shortly before 6pm on Saturday. 'Damage was caused to windows and items inside the house. No one was injured. 'Enquiries are ongoing.' 5 Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry has pledged to snare gang war culprits. The war has been raging for more than two months and cops have nabbed 32 people over firebombings, shootings and murder plots allegedly linked to the chaos. Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry said: "While the number of incidents has continued to decrease since the start of this investigation, I want to reiterate that violence will not stop until we bring those responsible for this criminality to justice. "We're working tirelessly to build cases and are following a number of significant lines of inquiry.'
