There were dramatic scenes outside the home of notorious Glasgow underworld figure Ian "Blink" McDonald yesterday morning. The convicted bank robber's prized Mercedes was torched while parked outside his house in the Hogganfield area of the city.
The attack happened shortly after 1am, while Mr McDonald was being held in police custody for an alleged nightclub brawl on Friday night. He is due to appear in court today in connection with that incident.
The firebombing of the car - registration number "B1LNK" - comes just days after the career criminal survived two attempts on his life. On May 8 army explosives experts defused a gas canister hidden beneath the same black Mercedes, wired and designed to go off when the engine's ignition was switched on. The road was closed and about 20 houses evacuated as police carried out forensic investigations in the area.
Then, just four days later, three men ambushed Mr McDonald, 48, near his mother's home in Provanmill while he was walking his dog. The attackers leapt out of a car and pinned him to the ground, slashing his cheek and ear and attempting to cut his throat.
The extent of Mr McDonald's injuries saw him undergo three hours of emergency plastic surgery, but last week he shrugged off the attack as the work of "daft wee boys."
But a source revealed last night he is seething with those responsible - especially as he was being held by police at the time of the incident.
The source said: "People are trying to send Blink a message that they are not happy and they have certainly done so. In public he remains defiant but behind close doors he is raging and even more so now after this."
Mr McDonald was convicted of a bank robbery in 1992, serving 10 years of a 15-year sentence. In January this year he was fined £200 at Alloa Sheriff Court after clashing with a guard while visiting a friend in Glenochil jail.
Last night a spokeswoman for Strathclyde police appealed for witnesses to come forward.
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