A violent gangland feud has erupted within Scottish prisons, with an inmate left with a shattered eye socket after one vicious beating.
Two prominent members of the notorious Daniel crime family were attacked within days of each other at HMP Edinburgh, also known as Saughton Prison.
James McDonald, a convicted hitman serving a life sentence for the murder of Michael Lyons, was assaulted last month.
McDonald, who is serving a record 30-year sentence in connection with the 2006 Applerow Motors shooting, was apparently ambushed after a dispute involving the brother-in-law of a murdered gangland figure.
Shortly afterwards, Robert Daniel – son of the late crime boss Jamie Daniel – suffered a brutal assault, resulting in a suspected fractured eye socket.
Insiders suggest several other lower-ranking associates of the Daniel clan have also been targeted in a spate of prison beatings by rival factions.
One source told the Daily Record: “McDonald’s long been a marked man because of Applerow.
“He’s faced attacks before and expects them to continue.
“Prison bosses have to report attacks like this to police, so officers are now investigating it.”
Both McDonald and Daniel are understood to have received medical care within the prison rather than being taken to hospital.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Prison Service said: “We don’t comment on individuals.”
The 35-year sentences McDonald and fellow assassin Raymond Anderson initially received were later reduced by five years on appeal.
Victim Michael Lyons was just 21 when he was shot dead in Glasgow’s Possil area.
His cousin, Steven Lyons, was also wounded in the gun attack, along with associate Robert Pickett.
McDonald has also 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 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 was found with 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 attacked prison guard Stephen Myatt when he tried to stop McDonald fighting with other convicts.