Man jailed for life for Glasgow gangland murder

A man who murdered a member of a rival crime clan in a shotgun attack in Glasgow has been jailed for a minimum of 22 years.

Malcolm McNee, 63, described as an associate of the Glasgow-based Daniel organised crime group, chased John Quinn McGregor, 44, before shooting him in the chest in August 2021.

Despite open heart surgery at the scene, Mr McGregor died at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow two days later.

McNee, from Carbeth, Stirlingshire, was sentenced after pleading guilty to the murder last month, just before he was due to stand trial.

He also admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Co-accused Reece Trainer was jailed for 54 months after he admitted having a firearm on the day and location of the murder and attempting to pervert the course of justice by fleeing to Mexico.

Prosecutor John Macpherson said the background to the case was an ongoing feud between the Lyons and the Daniels organised crime groups.

He said Westray Street, where the shooting happened, was a regular meeting point for youths associated with the Lyons family, while members of the Daniel family lived in adjoining streets.

Following an incident earlier in the evening in which Ronnie Daniel, who lived just off Westray Street, was threatened, McNee grabbed a shotgun and asked co-accused Trainer, 25, to drive him to the scene.

Mr Macpherson said: “In response to various phone calls, McNee took a shotgun because he believed that Ronnie Daniel had been threatened by members of the Lyons organised crime group.”

Mr Macpherson said those threatening included people known as the Quinn brothers.

Mr Macpherson said Trainer believed the gun would be used only to warn off those threatening Ronnie Daniel.

Neither Trainer nor McNee made any attempt to conceal their identity, and when they arrived Trainer’s Corsa van was struck with a machete by a man named in court as James Quinn.

McNee got out and brandished the shotgun at gathered youths, who fled.

Mr Macpherson said McNee made no attempt to fire at this point, and got back in the van. At this point another car, with John McGregor in the front passenger seat, appeared to block the Corsa before they both passed each other.

Mr Macpherson said: “The deceased and McNee exited their vehicles and confronted each other.

“The deceased seemed to register that McNee had a firearm and attempted to flee and take cover behind parked vehicles. McNee was seen to aim and fire.”

Mr McGregor was hit once in the chest and staggered a few steps before collapsing.

The blast severely damaged his chest wall, right lung and liver, causing cardiac arrest.

McNee got back into the Corsa and was driven off by Trainer.

The Corsa was later driven to Cumbernauld by McNee and set on fire to destroy evidence, while Trainer fled Scotland to Mexico, via England and Spain.

Brian McConnachie KC, for McNee, said: “The plan initially was to brandish the shotgun, scare people away, and go home again.

“Regrettably that is not what happened – the deceased got out of the other vehicle, and there was something of a standoff, before Mr McNee fired.”

Thomas Ross KC said the reason Trainer, a first offender whose own stepfather was murdered in a street shooting, had decided to flee the country was he feared he might be shot in retaliation.

Lord Harrower told McNee: “The agreed narrative describes you as an associate of the Daniel family and Mr McGregor as having been an associate of the Lyons family – two gangs involved in serious organised crime in Glasgow.

“This senseless killing appears to have been the latest instalment of an ongoing feud between the rival gangs.

“It was a beautiful late summer’s evening, just before 8pm. Children were out playing.”

He said the murder had been committed in full view of “horrified” members of the public.

He added: “This murder was more than just an episode in a turf war.

“Your brandishing a shotgun was intended to strike fear into members of the local community who might even have got hurt in the shooting.”