Murder bid: four in court

FOUR men have made a second court appearance charged with attempting to murder Steven Daniel with a weapon.

Andrew Sinclair, 30, Michael Bennett, 30, Robert Bennett, 27, and Brian Ferguson, 35 appeared in private at Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday.

They are accused of the murder bid in May, earlier this year in the Port Dundas area.

The men, from Glasgow, all also face attempting to defeat the ends of justice charges.

Ferguson’s lawyer Calum Ross opposed the full committal of his client which was granted by sheriff Kenneth Hogg and he was released.

Papers from the court claim that on May 17 and 18 at a number of streets, including the on ramp of the M8 motorway at Craighall Street, they drove a car at a car being driven by Daniel and did “deliberately collide” with his car and “attempt to force it from the roadway”.

The charge further claims that with their faces covered, they smashed their way into the car with a cosh, or similar implement, and repeatedly struck Daniel on the face with a blade to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement, to the danger of his life.

Sinclair and Michael Sutherland, 31, are accused of attempting to murder Ryan Fitzsimmons on April 28 in Clydebank.

The pair allegedly assaulted him on Gilmour Avenue, Clydebank with their faces masked.

Sinclair and Sutherland are said to have repeatedly struck him on the head, arm and body with a knife, a hammer and an axe or similar objects

They are charged with knocking him to the ground and repeatedly kicking him on the head, body and arm and rendering him unconscious to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger of his life.

Sutherland, from Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire is also charged with attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

The five men made no pleas when they appeared at the court. All except Ferguson were remanded.