Bloodbath as attackers stab nephew of drug lord in the face
THE nephew of a drug kingpin was dragged from his car and stabbed in the face by a would-be assassin in a savage attack.
Steven ‘Bonzo’ Daniel was in the driver’s seat of a taxi in Possilpark, Glasgow, when two cars began to chase him at speed shortly after 12.10am yesterday.
The 37-year-old relative of dead heroin trafficker Jamie Daniel made a dash for the motorway before his attackers boxed him in, forcing his Skoda Octavia to a stop just before an on-ramp.
He was then dragged through the driver’s side window of his car and stabbed in what police have described as a ‘targeted’ attack on his life.
Daniel was taken to hospital and was last night described as being in a stable condition as he received treatment for facial wounds.
Owing to the extent of his injuries, police originally believed he had been shot, possibly with a shotgun.
Police yesterday refused to confirm the attack is connected to a string of violence thought to stem from rivalry between organised gangs in the city.
But already connections have been drawn between yesterday’s attack and recent attempted murders.
The attempt on Daniel’s life comes weeks after Robert Daniel – understood to be his cousin – was shot outside his upmarket home in Stepps, Lanarkshire.
On the evening of Sunday, March 12, a gunman fired four or five shots at the 42-year-old as he reversed out of his driveway, hitting him in the arm.
Officers remained at the scene of yesterday’s attack on Craighall Road throughout the morning, installing a large cordon that blocked traffic joining and leaving the M8 and caused long rush-hour tailbacks.
Pedestrians were also sent on long diversions around the crime scene which encompassed three parked cars, including the dark blue private hire cab from which Daniel was dragged.
The car appeared to have been rammed from behind, with a damaged wing mirror and large scratches and dents along one side. One window also appeared to be either open or missing, while a pile of shattered glass could be seen further up the road.
Throughout the morning, officers in white overalls picked over the scene for clues.
Meanwhile, police announced that two vehicles suspected to have been used in the attack were found set alight in the hours following the incident.
A black Audi was found in Forge Street, Germiston and a silver Volkswagen was recovered in Balmuildy Road, Bishopbriggs.
Forensic police are examining the cars and carrying out ballistics and forensics tests in a bid to find out the exact type of weapon used. They also do not know how many occupants were in the two vehicles. Detective Chief Inspector John Kennedy said: ‘We are at a very early stage in this inquiry but I do believe that this is a targeted attack and we are treating it as an attempted murder.
‘I appreciate people will automatically want to link this to other incidents in the past few months but until I know more, I am unable to confirm that is the case.
‘What I would say is I believe there are people in our communities who know who is responsible for this incident. There are brothers, sisters, parents and other family members who know exactly who is behind it.
‘This victim appears to have been targeted but he’s also someone’s son and if there are people out there who know anything about who is responsible, I would urge them to contact us.’
‘Treating it as an attempted murder’