Mandenies £95,000 extortion attempt

A man is alleged to have tried to extort a total of £95,000 from a Bothwell businessman, one of his daughters and her partner.

Billy Steele is accused of threatening to have Ashley O’donnell and partner William Mcdonald shot and threatening to stab Stacey O’donnell and her father Hugh O’donnell.

Steele appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday where he denied an array of charges including attempting to extort £45,000 in cash from Hugh O’donnell at an address in the village’s Mill Road on November 2 last year and £50,000 in cash from O’donnell’s daughter Ashley and her partner William Mcdonald at an address in Bothwell’s Mcguire Gate on the same date.

The 36-year-old is said to have placed Hugh O’donnell in a state of fear and alarm and made a threat that if he did not provide £45,000 in cash he would harm him and his family.

Steele is also alleged to have threatened Ashley O’donnell and William Mcdonald by telling them if he did not get £50,000 he would damage their property and business and to have threatened to have them shot.

Steele, of Eaglesham, is further alleged to have assaulted Hugh O’donnell’s daughter Stacey by running towards her while he had a knife and threatening to stab her on September 10, 2016.

He is also said to have behaved in a threatening or abusive manner in Silverwells Crescent in Bothwell by shouting, brandishing a knife at Stacey O’donnell on the same date and threatening to stab her and her father.

Steele denied all these charges – along with a charge of having a knife in Silverwells Crescent on September 10 last year.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday, Sheriff Marie Smart set Steele’s trial date for October 9 and continued bail meantime.