Glasgow gangland war erupts behind bars as two Daniel crime clan members attacked in jail

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A gangland war has erupted behind bars - with two key Daniel crime clan members injured in prison attacks within a number of days.

Gangland assassin James McDonald, who is serving a life sentence for murdering Michael Lyons in an attack at one of the family's businesses, was set upon in HMP Edinburgh.

The hired hitman, who is also a convicted drug dealer and received a record sentence over the Applerow Motors shootings, was targeted last month.

The attack on the 51-year-old came following a fallout with the brother-in-law of another slain hood. And just days later Robert Daniel, son of late crime boss Jamie Daniel, was also attacked in jail.

That attack, at the same prison, left the 34-year-old nursing a shattered eye socket. And underworld sources say that three lower level members of the crime clan were also beaten up behind bars in a show of force from their rivals.

A source said: "Jamie McDonald was knocked out in Saughton by the brother-in-law of a big name who was murdered.

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"In the days after, Robert Daniel was viciously beaten by another inmate and was left with a suspected shattered eye socket as a result.

Another insider said: "It's all been kicking off in the jails.

"McDonald has said many a time he's a marked man for life because of Applerow. It's not the first time he's been attacked in jail, he doesn't think it'll be the last either and he's not surprised - it comes with the territory.

"Prison bosses have to report attacks like this to police, so officers are now investigating it." It's understood both men received medical treatment by medics within the prison, rather than having to be taken to hospital.

Police sources say that Police Scotland was notified of both attacks by the Scottish Prison Service, the organisation in charge of HMP Edinburgh, which is commonly known as Saughton prison.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Prison Service said: "We don’t comment on individuals." The Record has contacted Police Scotland for comment on last month's jail attacks. McDonald was given a record sentence for the Applerow Motors shootings.

In 2008, he was sentenced to a minimum 35 years for his part in the 2006 incident. The sentences he and fellow assassin Raymond Anderson received were later cut to 30 years on appeal.

Michael Lyons was just 21 when he was gunned down in the carnage at the MOT station, in Glasgow's Possil area. His cousin, Steven Lyons, was also wounded in the gun attack, as was Lyons associate Robert Pickett.

Whilst serving his life sentence over the shootings, McDonald has been involved in a number of incidents behind bars. In 2017, he was caught with "a large pile" of heroin in his prison cell.

And he also headbutted a prison officer who had tried to break up a fight between warring inmates. He was given another jail term for those offences that year, being sentenced to two years and 10 months for being concerned in the supply of heroin and assault.

He showed no emotion as he was taken handcuffed back to the cells after admitting his guilt over the offences at the High Court in Glasgow. He was found with a total of 28 wraps of the drug on April 21, 2017, when guards were carrying a "morning check" of cells.

A judge was told that the "prison value" of the drugs was £5,000 and that during the summer he assaulted prison guard Stephen Myatt when he tried to stop McDonald battling with other cons.

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