Prelims

Half Title Page

The Contemporary History of Drug-Based Organised Crime in Scotland

Series Title Page

Emerald Advances in Historical Criminology

Series Editors: David Churchill and Christopher W. Mullins

This series embraces a broad, pluralistic understanding of ‘the historical’ and its potential applications to criminology. Providing an inclusive platform for a range of approaches which, in various ways, seek to orient criminological enquiry to history or to the dynamics of historical time, the series also offers a platform both for conventional studies in the history of crime and criminal justice but also for innovative and experimental work which extends the conceptual, theoretical, methodological and topical range of historical criminology. In this way, the series encourages historical scholarship on non-traditional topics in criminology (such as environmental harms, war and state crime) and inventive modes of theorising and practising historical research (including processual approaches and futures research). The series thus makes a valuable contribution to criminology irrespective of disciplinary affiliation, theoretical framing or methodological practice.

Title Page

The Contemporary History of Drug-Based Organised Crime in Scotland

By

Robert McLean

University of the West of Scotland, UK

Chris Holligan

University of the West of Scotland, UK

and

Michael Pugh

University of the West of Scotland, UK

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL

First edition 2024

Copyright © 2024 Robert McLean, Chris Holligan and Michael Pugh.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-83549-653-4 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-83549-652-7 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-83549-654-1 (Epub)

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank God for the blessings He has given myself: a loving family and amazing experiences. I would also like to thank my colleagues, peers and MRes supervision team including Prof Jim Mills and Prof Arthur McIvor. Furthermore, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Professor James Densley, Professor Simon Harding, Professor Ross Deuchar and Professor Chris Holligan, who have all been instrumental in helping me achieve my academic goals, publications and with general career advice. I would also like to thank my colleagues, Dr Rajeev Gundur and Dr Colin Atkinson, who have helped offer career guidance. To everyone, thank you.

Robert McLean

I would like to thank Dr Robert McLean for his superb initiative and drive and for involving me in this exciting project. Also, I wish to acknowledge my two friends and former neighbours Guy and Dave of Tenbury Wells whose positive ‘can do’ outlooks inspire and motivate.

Chris Holligan

I'm grateful to Robert and Chris for the opportunity to contribute to finalising this book project with them, and to my wife and children (and our cat) for tolerating me in the process.

Michael Pugh

Prologue: The Applerow Atrocity

On a chilly Wednesday afternoon, shortly before 2:12 p.m. on 6 December 2006, a blue Mazda car, registration S733ESF, was captured on CCTV parked outside the Applerow Motors MOT garage in Glasgow's Lambhill Estate. The garage is a family run business, owned by David Lyons, brother of Eddie Lyons senior, known figurehead of the Lyons crime family, based in Milton, Glasgow. Stepping out from the Mazda, two men disguised with ‘old man’ masks and trench coats, later identified as Raymond ‘Rainbow’ Anderson, then 45, and James Scott McDonald, then 33, proceeded to enter the garage forecourt, armed with military grade firearms, as the workers inside went about their business of testing and repairing motor vehicles (Scottish Courts & Tribunals, 2022, p. 6). It is believed that Raymond's son, Junior, was also present during the time of the incident, as the driver of the Mazda, though charges against him were dropped at the subsequent court trail. Among those working inside the garage were David Lyons, his son Mark and his nephew Michael Lyons Junior. David's nephew, Steven Lyons, accompanied by his friend, Robert ‘Piggy’ Pickett, the gunmen's intended targets, were also present. Steven's vehicle, a Ford Focus, was booked in to be serviced that day.

David Lyons was first to spot the masked pair. He called out a warning to the others inside. His nephew, Michael Junior, took heed and attempted to flee; however, one of the gunmen would fatally wound him with a single shot through the chest (Scottish Courts & Tribunals, 2022). Steven Lyons, at the time of his uncle's warning call, was seated in his vehicle. Steven instinctively slammed on the accelerator as a bullet shattered the Focus's rear window. Having nowhere to go, the vehicle struck the metal perimeter fence, bringing it to a halt. A second bullet was then fired, superficially striking Steven on the back. A third, and final shot in his direction, would result in a bullet passing through his leg, breaking it in two in the process, as he attempted to flee from the smashed vehicle for more adequate cover (Findlay, 2012a). Pickett was less lucky than Steven and received considerably worse injuries. As the masked pair entered the garage, Pickett had been standing outside the vehicle. Trapped inside the small unit, he was an easy target. Soon, Pickett was shot twice in the back, before one of the gunmen pumped a third bullet into his abdomen from close range, only two feet away (Findlay, 2012a, p. 88). The gunmen then proceeded to run back to the Mazda car, get in and drive off. The car was found two days later on Friday, 8th December 2006, abandoned in Vaila Street, Cadder, a short distance from the locus, having been set alight and burned out. The attack took all of three minutes. By 2:15 p.m., two men lay critically ill, while a third, Michael Junior, was dead (Scottish Courts & Tribunals, 2011).