A Dark City
Delve into the dark heart of Glasgow, a city with history steeped in mystery and violence. A Dark City takes you behind the headlines to explore the city's most notorious murders - stories that shocked the nation, shattered communities and left scars that still linger. From cold blooded killers to infamous gangland slayings, we uncover the chilling details, the victims stories and the impact on Glasgow's streets.
A Dark City
Daniel's V Lyon's
Glasgow's streets have long echoed with the footsteps of gangland rivalries, but none have cast as long a shadow as the bloody war between the Daniel and Lyons families. What began in 2001 with the theft of cocaine valued between £20,000 and £500,000 has evolved into Scotland's most enduring and vicious criminal feud, claiming numerous lives and expanding beyond national borders.
The early phase established the brutal template for what would follow. Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll, the Daniel family's ruthless enforcer known for his "alien abduction" tactics, orchestrated fierce retaliations against the Lyons. The conflict reached shocking depths in 2006 when Daniel associates desecrated the grave of 8-year-old Gary Lyons, who had died from leukemia years earlier. This unconscionable act transcended ordinary criminal rivalry, cementing a hatred that would fuel decades of violence. That same year, the Godfather-style execution at Apple Row Motors left Michael Lyons dead and was followed by a chilling ransom note explicitly tying the murder to the original drug debt.
The 2010 assassination of Carroll himself—gunned down in broad daylight at an Asda supermarket—marked another watershed moment, followed by controversial court proceedings that saw one suspect acquitted and another sentenced to 22 years. After a period of simmering tension, 2017 brought a resurgence of brazen attacks, including the shooting of Ross Monaghan outside a primary school and a horrific machete assault that left Steven "Bonzo" Daniel with life-changing facial injuries. Most recently, the feud has expanded internationally, culminating in the May 2023 double murder of Eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan in Spain's Costa del Sol.
Discover how this bitter conflict moved from Glasgow's housing schemes to the international stage, involving Dubai-based crime figures and creating dangerous new alliances across Scotland. Subscribe now to understand how a debt, a theft, and wounded pride spawned over twenty years of ruthless gangland warfare that shows no sign of ending.
Welcome to A Dark City, the podcast that delves into the shadowy underbelly of Glasgow, a city with a storied past and a reputation for resilience. Here we uncover the chilling true stories of serious crimes that have left their mark on the city's history, from notorious gangland wars to unsolved mysteries. Join us as we explore the darker side of Glasgow and the people whose lives were forever changed by its crimes. The early days of the Daniels and Lyons feud, primarily from 2001 to late 2006, laid the brutal groundwork for what would become one of Scotland's most enduring and vicious gangland conflicts. This period was characterised by escalating tit-for-tat violence, personal animosity and a clear struggle for dominance over Glasgow's lucrative drug trade. The spark that truly ignited the feud is widely pinpointed to the theft of a significant quantity of cocaine from a Daniel family safe house in the Milton area of Glasgow in 2001. Estimates suggest the value was around £20,000, though some reports indicate it could have been as high as £500,000. Regardless of the exact figure, this wasn't just a simple robbery. It was a deliberate and calculated affront. The Daniels quickly discovered that the drugs had been either directly stolen by, or subsequently sold to or appropriated by, the rival Lyons family, or subsequently sold to or appropriated by the rival Lyons family. At this time, both the Daniels, led by Patriarch Jamie Daniel from Possil Park, and the Lyons, headed by Stephen Lyons and his brother Eddie Lyons Sr, from Milton, were fiercely vying for control of the drug trade in the north of Glasgow. The stolen cocaine was thus a direct challenge to the Daniels' authority and a provocative act of encroachment on their territory. The Underworld Code dictates that such a debt and such a public slight must be repaid, and Jamie Daniel understood this perfectly. The immediate response from the Daniel clan was orchestrated by Kevin Gerbil Carroll. At just 24 years old at the time, carroll was a rapidly ascending figure within the Daniel organization. He was a close associate of Jamie Daniel and was in a relationship with Daniel's daughter Kelly. Carroll was known for his extreme brutality and his infamous alien abduction method, posing as police officers to kidnap, torture and rob rival drug dealers. His involvement ensured the Daniels' retaliation would be swift and merciless.
Speaker 1:Early Retaliatory Strikes Attempt on Stephen Lyons. September 2001. One of the first direct retaliatory strikes saw the Daniel crew attempt to shoot Stephen Lyons outside a pub in Lambhill, glasgow. However, the gunman missed a clear sign that the war had begun Churnside Centre Firebombing. The Daniels quickly turned their attention to the Churnside Community Centre in Milton, which was run by Eddie Lyons Sr. The centre was firebombed, causing an estimated £30,000 worth of damage, and its minibus was trashed. This attack was a clear message targeting a key operational base and a family asset of the Lions the attack on Kevin Carroll and Ross Sherlock 2001. The Lions quickly retaliated. The Lions quickly retaliated. Just eight days after the Churnside attack, kevin Carroll himself was shot, along with his close associate Ross Sherlock, in Cleland Avenue, bishop Briggs, a residential street. Carroll sustained serious stomach injuries from a close-range shot, demonstrating that the Lions were equally prepared to strike back with deadly force.
Speaker 1:The Apple Row Motors attack and the ransom note December 2006. This event marked a significant escalation and brought the feud into chilling public view. Apple Row Motors, a garage in Lamb Hill, was owned by David Lyons, eddie Lyons Sr's brother, and operated by him and his nephew Mark. It was viewed as a central hub for the Lyons family's activities. On Wednesday, december 6th 2006, two Daniel associates, raymond Anderson and James MacDonald, drove to Apple Row Motors. They were dressed in black overcoats, wearing old men face masks and brandishing handguns In a scene described in court as being like something from the Godfather. They opened fire, michael Lyons, eddie Senior's nephew and a mechanic at the garage was tragically killed. His cousin, stephen Lyons, and Lyons' associate Robert Pickett were also seriously injured. Eleven shots were fired in total. Following the murder, a chilling ransom note demanding £25,000, the purported value of the stolen cocaine was sent to David Lyons. The note, which read the boys owe me £25,000 and I want what's owed to me. It's for drugs. They all know what it's about. The money doesn't matter to me as it's got to be paid to the piper Clearly linked the murder back to the original drug debt. David Lyons refused to pay and handed the letter to the police. Anderson and MacDonald were later convicted of Michael Lyons' murder and the attempted murders of Stephen Lyons and Robert Pickett, receiving some of the longest sentences ever handed down in a Scottish court at the time initially, 35 years later, reduced to 30 on appeal.
Speaker 1:The Unforgivable Act. Grave Desecration November 2006. Just a month before the Apple Row motor's shooting, the feud reached an unprecedented low with an act of profound and deliberate cruelty In November 2006, daniel Associates, allegedly including Kevin Carroll, desecrated the grave of Gary Lyons. Gary was Eddie Lyons Sr's son, who had tragically died of leukaemia at the age of eight in 1991. Senior's son, who had tragically died of leukaemia at the age of eight in 1991. Using a four-by-four vehicle and a tow rope, they toppled the child's headstone. This act went beyond mere criminal rivalry. It was a deeply personal and emotionally devastating blow, designed to inflict maximum psychological pain. It left an indelible mark on the Lyons family and cemented a level of hatred that ensured the feud would be protracted and merciless.
Speaker 1:In these early years, the feud established several key dynamics. The attacks quickly became deeply personal, moving beyond mere territory disputes to direct assaults on family members and even the memory of the dead. To direct assaults on family members and even the memory of the dead. The ruthlessness of Carroll. Kevin Carroll's emergence as a key enforcer for the Daniels, with his aggressive tactics and willingness to push boundaries. No-transcript. The cycle of retribution. Each act of violence invariably led to a swift and often more brutal retaliation, setting a pattern that would continue for decades.
Speaker 1:The public visibility, while still confined to the underworld, incidents like the Apple Row Motors shooting began to bring the brutal reality of the feud to public attention in Glasgow. Glasgow. The events of 2001 to 2006 were not isolated incidents but carefully calculated moves in a brutal underworld chess game. They established the Daniels and Lyons as implacable foes, locked in a struggle that would claim many lives and cast a long shadow over Glasgow's criminal landscape. The period between the end of 2006 and 2017 was a deeply significant and bloody chapter in the Daniels and Lyons feud. Following the highly public Applerow Motors shooting and the abhorrent, grave desecration in late 2006, the conflict moved from initial skirmishes to a full-blown lethal gangland war, claiming a major life and setting the stage for more recent international violence.
Speaker 1:The major turning point the murder of Kevin Gerbil Carroll in January 2010. We covered this murder in episode 6. This was arguably the most high-profile and audacious act of violence in the feud up to that point. On January 13th 2010, kevin Carroll, the notorious Daniel Enforcer and alien abduction specialist, was shot dead in broad daylight in the car park of an Asda supermarket in Robroist in Glasgow. Carroll, 29, was sitting in the back of a black Audi A3 when two masked gunmen approached and opened fire. He was reportedly hit 13 times in the head and body. The killing was witnessed by shocked shoppers, including women and children, highlighting the extreme disregard for public safety Significance. Carroll's murder was a massive blow to the Daniel clan. He was a ruthless operator, a key strategist and a significant earner for the family. His death sent shockwaves through the Glasgow underworld and was widely seen as a direct retaliation for the Apple Row motor shooting and the ongoing campaign of violence against the Lions.
Speaker 1:The investigation and trial a huge police operation followed. Two men, ross Monaghan, a key Lions associate, and William Patterson, were charged with Carroll's murder. Ross Monaghan's acquittal May 2012. In a highly controversial trial, ross Monaghan was acquitted of Kevin Carroll's murder. The judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence for the case to proceed, a decision that deeply angered the Daniel family and frustrated law enforcement. William Patterson's conviction May 2015. William Patterson was later found guilty of Carroll's murder after a separate trial and was sentenced to 22 years in custody. His DNA was found on a bag containing one of the murder weapons and mobile phone data placed him at the scene.
Speaker 1:While the details of every minor assault or low-level drug dispute linked to the feud aren't always publicly reported, the period between Carroll's murder and the 2017 surge of violence saw a continued undercurrent of aggression. The core of the feud remained control of the highly lucrative drug trade in North Glasgow and surrounding areas. This led to frequent, though often unreported, clashes over supply lines, distribution networks and street corners. Beyond direct violence, both sides engaged in significant intimidation tactics, including threats against family members, damage to property and psychological warfare. The feud often spilled into the Scottish prison system, with Daniel and Lyon's associates clashing behind bars, leading to assaults and internal power struggles. Both clans would have been constantly gathering intelligence on their rivals' movements, residences and associates to plan further attacks or avoid being targeted themselves. The year 2017 marked a significant resurgence in the feud's overt violence, seemingly fuelled by a desire for revenge and continued dominance.
Speaker 1:Ross Monaghan, despite his acquittal in the Carroll murder, remained a prime target for the Daniels. On 16th January 2017, he was shot in the shoulder as he dropped his daughter off at St George's Primary School in Penally, glasgow. A masked gunman, reportedly disguised as a father with a pram, opened fire. Monaghan survived, reportedly because he was wearing a bulletproof vest. This incident highlighted the extreme lengths to which the Daniels would go to target their rivals even near a school. Monaghan is understood to have fled to Spain shortly after this attack.
Speaker 1:On the 18th of May 2017, stephen Bonzo Daniel, a key figure in the Daniel clan and nephew of Jamie Daniel, who had died of cancer in 2016, was subjected to a horrific machete attack in Port Dundas, glasgow. He was ambushed by a six-strong gang after a Rangers football match. The attack left him with grotesque and life-changing facial injuries requiring extensive surgery. Andrew Piggy Pickett, a known Lions associate, was among those later convicted for this brutal assault. This was a clear act of targeted revenge for the Daniels' previous actions.
Speaker 1:As discussed previously, ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jr were arrested, though charges were dropped in connection with a savage street attack outside the Campsy Bar in Bishopbriggs, where one man's ear was partially severed. This incident again demonstrated the willingness of key Lyons figures to engage directly in violent confrontations. The incident was described in court as a brutal street attack or ambush, while specific details of the confrontation are limited due to the case's collapse. It was characterized by extreme violence. The targets were three men, and one of the victims reportedly had his ear left hanging off as a result of the assault. This indicates the use of bladed weapons, likely machetes or knives, which are common in Glasgow's gangland feuds. Despite the serious nature of the injuries and the high-profile individuals charged, the case against Monaghan and Lyons Jr collapsed in August 2017. After two days of evidence, prosecutors withdrew the charges against them. The exact reasons for the collapse are not fully detailed in public reports, but typically such outcomes occur due to insufficient evidence, witnesses changing their testimony or other prosecutorial difficulties.
Speaker 1:This period, from the Apple Row Motors convictions to the brutal attacks of 2017, was a relentless display of the feud's capacity for extreme violence and its deep-seated nature. The murder of Kevin Carroll was a watershed moment, but the lack of an outright victor in that and other major incidents ensured the conflict would continue to fester and erupt, setting the stage for its alarming internationalisation in later years, even though the charges were dropped. The Bishop Briggs attack was significant for several reasons. It demonstrated that the Daniel Lyons feud remained active and brutal, with key figures on both sides still engaging in direct violent confrontations. While the specific victims' affiliations aren't always explicitly stated in public reports, such attacks are almost always understood as part of the tit-for-tat cycle of the wider gang war.
Speaker 1:Monaghan's profile. Ross Monaghan was already a highly controversial figure, having been acquitted in 2012 of the murder of Daniel enforcer Kevin Gerbil Carroll. His involvement in another high-profile violent incident reinforced his position within the Glasgow underworld Eddie Lyons Jr S Rowe. Eddie Lyons Jr was also a central figure in the Lyons family. Jr S role. Eddie Lyons Jr was also a central figure in the Lyons family and his alleged involvement further highlighted the direct participation of the family's leadership in the ongoing violence, setting the stage for later events. This incident, among others around that time, contributed to Ross Monaghan's decision to flee to Spain in 2017. He had also been the victim of a gun attack outside a primary school in Penalee, glasgow, earlier that year. Both Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jr were later shot dead together in Spain in May this year, an event that Spanish police believe was linked to the Daniel Lyons feud, indicating the persistent and far-reaching nature of the conflict.
Speaker 1:The Daniels and Lyons feud has been a relentless and evolving conflict spanning over two decades and marked by an astonishing number of violent incidents. Although the feud has seen a fairly quiet period of late, it has seen a resurgence, reportedly fuelled by Ross Miami McGill, a Mr Big operating from Dubai who is said to be backing the Lions. This period has seen new alliances, notably between the Lions and figures like Edinburgh crime boss Mark Richardson, initially targeted by the McGill faction in Edinburgh, but whose associates are seen as allied with the Daniels, leading to a broader conflict. A wave of coordinated firebombings began targeting businesses and homes linked to the Daniel clan and their associates, including a beauty salon in Leith linked to Mark Richardson's partner. Stephen Richardson's warehouse in Musselburg, a garage in Portobello, multiple properties linked to the Daniel clan in Glasgow, a Glasgow factory linked to the Daniel family, the office of Deuce Private Hire Taxi Firm linked to Daniels J Richardson in Glasgow. Brazen videos of these attacks were often posted online by the perpetrators, accompanied by taunting messages and music. Properties in Nidri and West Pilton Bank linked to Richardson were targeted with gunshots.
Speaker 1:May 2025. Machete attack on Mark Richardson's pal. David Macmillan Sennar, a 54-year-old friend of Mark Richardson, had his skull sliced open in a machete attack. May 2025. Home invasion Milton, glasgow. A 72 year old woman and a 12 year old boy, both related to the Daniel family, were injured in a violent home invasion in Eglise Crescent, Milton. May 31st 2025, costa del Sol double murder. In a shocking international development, eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan were shot dead by a masked gunman outside Monaghan's bar in Fuengirola, spain, after watching the Champions League final. Spanish police believe a Daniel family gang member was responsible, highlighting the feud's global reach. Further arrests and police operations Police Scotland has continued Operation Portaledge, leading to numerous arrests related to fire raising, firearms offences and attempted murders in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. As they try to contain the ongoing violence. The feud now involves figures living abroad, particularly in Spain and Dubai, influencing and coordinating attacks from a distance. The sheer scale, duration and evolving nature of these incidents underscore the deep-seated hatred and relentless determination of both sides in the Daniels and Ly Feud. Thank you.