Crime Clips - Scotland Crime Podcast

27/05/2023

A high-ranking member of a notorious Scottish crime gang has been found guilty of the murder of a Dutch crime writer outside a s*x club.

Christopher Hughes, aged 33, enticed Martin Kok, 49, to his death, after which he was shot multiple times by an assailant in Laren, Netherlands, on December 8, 2016.

Hughes was part of a criminal organization with far-reaching connections, spanning from Colombian drug cartels to the Italian mafia.

Police Scotland, following the verdict, described Hughes as a "dangerous individual."

In addition to the murder charge, Hughes was convicted of involvement in serious organized crime between July 2013 and January 2020. Kok, who had a criminal background and later turned to writing about crime, had established a website exposing criminals in the Netherlands.

During the trial held at the High Court in Glasgow, Hughes denied the murder allegations. However, he was ultimately convicted. The trial judge, Lady Scott, characterized the killing as a "premeditated and merciless murder."

The sequence of events leading to the murder began with Hughes accompanying Kok to the Boccaccio club.

As Kok proceeded to his car after the visit, Hughes held back while the hired gunman approached and shot him eight times in the head and body.

Following his conviction, Hughes appealed the verdict at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh, claiming that the trial judge had not provided adequate instructions to the jury regarding the assessment of statements made by an informant and police collaborator, whose identity cannot be disclosed due to legal reasons.

This informant had provided crucial evidence against Hughes on behalf of the prosecution.

The informant had previously been involved with the crime group but had been recruited by the police in 2016, receiving compensation for their assistance. Lady Scott instructed the jurors during Hughes' trial that if they did not find the informant credible and reliable, they should acquit Hughes. However, the appeal was ultimately denied by Scotland's senior judge, the Lord Justice General Lord Carloway, sitting alongside Lord Matthews and Lord Boyd of Duncansby.

Lord Matthews, delivering the appeal court decision, stated that the only ground for appeal lacked substance, leading to the rejection of the appeal. He asserted that the jury had been provided with appropriate instructions regarding their responsibility to assess credibility and reliability, noting that no exceptional circumstances were present in the case.

Lord Matthews referred to the murder of Martin Kok, a former criminal who had turned to crime writing and operated a website, as a "planned assassination." There was an attempted shooting prior to Kok being fatally shot in the car park of the club.

Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Hughes had met Kok at an Amsterdam hotel before they visited the Boccaccio s*x club, and Hughes subsequently alerted others to Kok's whereabouts.

As they left the club, Hughes paused to interact with a cat before Kok was gunned down, allegedly as a "favor" in response to his actions that offended Moroccan-based gangsters.

The following day, Dutch police questioned Hughes before allowing him to depart. He remained at large in Europe as the international investigation into the shooting continued.

However, Hughes' downfall came from an apparent confession he made to an informant who was a former member of the gang. In January 2020, Hughes was arrested at a hotel in Turin, Italy, and extradited to Scotland under a European Arrest Warrant.

Although the murder took place in the Netherlands, it was investigated as part of Police Scotland's Operation Escalade, which has resulted in several gang members receiving lengthy prison sentences totaling over 100 years.

The heavily-armed criminal group engaged in a global criminal enterprise that generated more than £100 million annually. They even invested in advanced surveillance equipment to determine

if their network had been compromised by law enforcement agencies.

During the trial, it was revealed that Hughes was a trusted member of the gang, and the jury was shown a photograph of him alongside the two wanted men who headed the criminal operation, whose identities are protected for legal reasons.

Despite being listed as "unemployed" by HMRC, Hughes enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle in the Algarve, reportedly earning £40,000 per week.

The informant testified in court that he was instructed to arrange a meeting between Hughes and Kok at an Amsterdam hotel.

According to his testimony, he believed the meeting was to discuss advertising for the gang's encrypted phone company, MPC, which had been funded with £1 million of illicit funds, to be featured on Kok's new crime TV show.

26/03/2023

01/12/2022

A new podcast launching next week with a focus on crime in Scotland - both past and present.

Keep an eye on the page for the first episode :)

31/05/2021

A leader of a Romanian gang responsible for stealing millions of dollars through ATM fraud is arrested in Cancun.

17/05/2021

26/03/2021

Hey guys, i had to completely shorten the video down to 10 minutes, the maximum Youtube was allowing.

Future podcast will be edited a lot better and will be available every Friday at 7pm on our Youtube channel.

https://youtu.be/LHoSNC7kR80

The story about the 2004 murder of Kriss Donald who was killed in Glasgow for no other reason than being white. The podcast had been a lot longer but i had t...

26/03/2021

Our first episode will be posted on Youtube at 7pm tonight.

A story about 15 year old Kriss Donald who was abducted and killed by a racist gang in Glasgow, 2004.

We will post the link here and on our IG page.

22/03/2021

100% this time! 😅 We will post the link to our Youtube channel at 7pm on Friday.

Cheers

30/01/2021

Our podcast and website are almost ready to be launched, stay tuned :)

12/01/2021

Italian Mafia in Aberdeen

When locals in the North East city found out a highly respected businessman Antonio La Torre was arrested, they were shocked. Picked up on an International arrest warrant for mafia related activity came as a huge surprise to everyone who knew him. Dubbed 'The Don of the Don' by the Scottish press, it was discovered he belonged to a powerful mafia clan based in a town an hour's drive North of Naples.

Born in 1956 to a mafia boss, him and his brother Augusto grew up to take over their father's reign. Augusto was jailed for life in 2019 for orchestrating a massacre in 1990 when 5 people were gunned down and a 14 year old was left paralysed. This was to teach a new drug cartel who were made up of Tanzanian and Ghanian immigrants who was the boss in town. It's thought he is responsible for over 40 murders during his reign as boss.

Antonio first moved to Aberdeen in 1984 with his Scottish wife and they lived in a flat above a butchers shop. La Torre soon set up a number of businesses to launder money from back home. This included two Italian restaurants in the city- Pavarotti's and Sorrento.

In 1996, on a business trip to the Netherlands, he was picked up by police and shipped back to Italy on a warrant for mafia association. He was jailed for four years, released after 14 months he returned to Scotland.

Phone taps in the early 2000's picked up Antonio arranging extortion rackets back in Italy, laundering money through his legitimate businesses in Aberdeen, and arranging huge drug shipments from South America to Amsterdam.

In 2004, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison by an Italian court in his absence. Scottish police found him hiding in a friend's flat in 2005 and he was extradited back to Italy. He served this sentence and was released in 2014.

11/01/2021

Frank McPhee was a notorious Glasgow gangster who was killed by a sniper in 2000.

McPhee got his start in the underworld by committing robberies and dealing drugs. He was a close associate of Arthur Thompson and made a name for himself in his own right. In 1978 he was jailed for 5 years for a robbery and then again for another five in 1986. A few years later in 1992 he was sentenced to 8 years for a £200k drug seizure. During this time, he was accused of stabbing to death a fellow prisoner in 1996 at Perth Prison. He was later acquitted of the charge a year later.

When he was released in 1997 he was suspected of another murder. This time it was a close friend who police believe met his fate over a drug deal. They were such good friends McPhee was even an usher at the victim’s wedding two weeks previously. Christopher McGrory was found strangled to death in his own van at the back of a golf course in Milngavie. Yet again, McPhee, along with the best man at the wedding, beat the case and was found not guilty.

After these two cases he felt he was untouchable. His growing empire included a range of criminal activities and he had told people he was aiming to make Scotland ‘the dog fighting capital of Europe’.

Fast forward to 2000 when police warned McPhee there was a contract out on his life. He had made many enemies over the years including an Irish terrorist faction. According to underworld sources who spoke to a local paper at the time, he had been trying to muscle in on their drug territory. This was just one of the theories put forward. But police suspect it was the notorious Daniels crime clan. Not long before he was gunned down McPhee had a road rage incident with one of the younger Daniels.

A few weeks afterwards McPhee ambushed him at a Chinese takeaway he was known to frequent. After stabbing him McPhee pulled up his balaclava to let the Daniels know he was responsible. He even went to one of the garages owned by the Daniels clan to show he wasn’t afraid and if they had a problem with what he had done they knew where to find him.

Arriving home in the middle of the day, a sniper was perched on top of a block of flats across from the gangster’s home. One single shot hit McPhee and he dropped dead in front of his 11 year old son. The assassin simply disappeared and left the Czech made rifle where it was. There were no witnesses, no cars screeching away, and no DNA left on the murder weapon.

Police later suspected a local man with links to the Daniels but he was released without charge due to lack of evidence.

21 years later and police still have no leads.

01/01/2021

Peter Tobin is a convicted ra**st and serial killer responsible for at least 3 murders. Born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire he was the youngest of seven children and had a troubled childhood. He was first sent to an approved school and then later a young offenders institution. Tobin first fell on the police radar for a string of forgeries and burglaries.

In 1969 he moved to Brighton with his girlfriend, who later became his wife for a short period of time. This didn't last long and they split soon after. Tobin went to marry 2 more women and have a couple of kids. All 3 later testified he was charming at first but later became sadistic and frightening.

Moving around between Scotland and England, he eventually moved back to Hampshire to be near his youngest son. This is when his truly abhorrent crimes began (the ones we know about anyway).

In 1993, two 14 year old girls who were babysitting his son were held at knife point by him and forced to down vodka and cider, going on to repeatedly r**e them. On the run, Tobin hid in a religious retreat but was later recognised after appearing on Crimewatch. In 1994 he was sentenced to 14 years in prison and was released in 2004. He moved back to Paisley, Scotland at this time. Here, he was jailed in 2007 for a further 30 months for breaking his bail terms.

In 2006 Tobin was working as a church handyman in Glasgow under a false name. A young Polish student Angelina Kluk was also working there as a cleaner to support her studies. She was last seen alive in his company and it was later determined she was r**ed, beated, and stabbed by him in the garage of the church. She was then placed in an underground chamber. Tests later showed that she was still alive at this point. Tobin was sentenced to at least 21 years in prison in 2007 for his murder and the judge described him as an 'evil man'.

This same year, police investigating the disappearance of a young woman in 1991 began forensically searching a home Peter Tobin lived in around this time. They discovered human remains and it was determined it was Vicky Hamilton. She was a 15 year old girl who was last seen sitting eating chips on a bench in the town. He was sentenced to a minimum term of 30 years.

Vicky's remains weren't the only discovery police made. They also found the skeletal remains of Dinah McNicol buried at his previous address in Kent. Dinah vanished in 1991 after hitchhiking home on her way back from a music festival. The judge sentenced Tobin for a life term, with the recommendation he should never see the light of day.

The Bible John Murders

There are suspicions Peter Tobin may be Bible John. In 1968-69 three young women were murdered after attending a disco at the Barrowland in Glasgow. The suspect gained his nickname by witnesses stating that the women had been with a man who made a number of religious quotes. Tobin was a staunch Roman Catholic and moved away from Glasgow in 1969, the same year the killings stopped.

Tobin has boasted he is responsible for 48 other murders but police are still linking him to 13, including the Bible John murders. He is serving his sentence in Edinburgh, Scotland. Last year it was said he was dying of cancer and was down to 5 stone a one point. One of his victims Father has said he will throw a huge party when the killer does eventually die.

30/12/2020

30/12/2020

Our first podcast episode will on the murder of Kriss Donald in 2004. A 15 year old who was tortured and killed by an Asian gang in Glasgow. The court deemed the crime a racially motivated murder.

29/12/2020

29/12/2020

Serial Killer birth dates. Who do you share your birthday with? 🥳

27/12/2020

"Turn up the radio and I'll go quietly"

Peter Thomas Anthony Manuel (13 March 1927 – 11 July 1958) was a serial killer active in Scotland. He was responsible for at least 9 murders. The media had nicknamed him 'The Beast of Birkenshaw'

Born in the USA to scottish immigrants, his family returned to Scotland when Peter was young. Throughout his childhood he was bullied. He was first on the police radar at only 10 years old for a string of petty thefts. When Peter was 16 he received a 9 year sentence for a string of s*xual attacks, he served his time in Peterhead Prison.

The first known murder he committed, occurred in 1956. A 17 year old girl was r**ed and bludgeoned to death by the Beast of Birkenshaw. Police arrested and charged him but were forced to let him go after his Father provided an alibi.

The most infamous part of his killing spree took place not long after. Three members of the same family were shot dead, a mother and daughter, and sister. Although police initially suspected Peter of the crime the main focus of the investigation was on the husband who was on a fishing trip at the time of the killings. Police suspected him of driving home throughout the night to commit the murders and then returning back to his fishing spot. Two witnesses also came forward to say they say the husband in the area but these were later rebuted as false. If it not were other murders occuring the husband may have faced the gallows in a miscarriage of justice the like of which has never been seen before in Scotland.

The cold blooded killer went on to kill another 2 people. Then not long after killed a family of 3, including a 10 year old child. Afterwards he stayed in the family's house for almost a week, even feeding the cat.

Peter was driving around in one of his victims car's, at one point picking up a police officer who was searching the local area for evidence. The officer later said the killer was chatting away and even said at one point they 'weren't looking in the right places'.

He was finally arrested and brought to justice after using stolen five pound notes at an East End pub in Glasgow. These notes had been withdrawn from the bank by one of the serial killer's last victims.

When they went to trial, the killer astounded everyone by representing himself in the courtroom. The judge was impressed by his defence and later said it was conducted "with a skill that is quite remarkable". Nonetheless Peter was found guilty and sent to the gallows on 11th July 1958.

His last words were "Turn up the radio and I'll go quietly"

26/12/2020

Robert 'The Birdman' O'Hara is a Glasgow drug dealer who received a minimum 20 year sentence in 2005. This was for orchestrating the murder of a drug rivals brother in-law. O'Hara had already been jailed when he was only 19 for a six year term for shooting someone.

When he was released after 4 years Birdman was shot in the arms and legs but survived. This was thought to stem from an ongoing turf war after his mentor Tony McGovern, from the infamous family of the same name, was shot dead.

The murder that landed the brute and his accomplices the stiff sentence was the ambush of Paul McDowell. A 25 year old who got caught in the middle between two enemies. Paul's sister had married The Birdman's arch rival and was unfortunately just a pawn in a deadly game.

Walking home from the pub he was ambushed in broad daylight where he was stabbed and hacked to death. Birdman was later arrested following a return trip from a holiday in Mexico. When he was arrested he had been living in a £400k apartment and was driving a car worth £65k.

During the trial it was alleged his girlfriend offered a sibling of the key witness £10k to change their witness statement. Police investigating the murder found £150k under the floorboards of Birdman's grandfather's house. A sawn off shotgun, machine gun, and he**in was later found at a safe house.

The 20 year sentence didn't stop him from continuing to run his empire from behind bars. It's thought he has a network of Glasgow dealers working for him and plying his trade from behind bars. He was recently implicated with ordering an axe attack from jail on a rival in the Possil area of Glasgow.

Media also recently reported his girlfriend has moved into a plush West End house worth £1 million pound.

25/12/2020

Merry Xmas 🎅

24/12/2020

Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll was a feared gangster who was part of the Daniel clan in Glasgow.

The enforcer would kidnap rival drug dealers and rob them of cash, guns, and drugs. After being tortured they would later be found wandering the streets, claiming they had no memory of what happened. These would be called the 'alien abductions' by police and the media.

The majority of those abducted worked for the
Daniel gang's fierce rival- the Lyons. Gerbil had a long history with the Lyons clan stretching all the way back to his schooldays when he was bullied by Steven Lyons and his brother Edward Jnr. But during this time he also forged friendships with Jamie Daniel’s sons Robert and Francis 'Fraggle' Green, who became his closest associates.

The Lyons eventually caught up with Gerbil in 2010 at an Asda carpark in Robroyston, Glasgow where he was ambushed by 2 gunmen.

Trapped in his car he was shot multiple times by the assassins. Billy Paterson was later jailed in 2015 for at least 22 years.

Police are still looking for others involved in the hit. The feud between the Daniel and Lyons clans still continues to this day.

23/12/2020

Arthur Thompson, know as 'The Godfather' began his career as a money lender. He was said to crucify those who did not repay their debts, by nailing them to floors or doors. Protection rackets soon followed. He then went on to invest his money into legitimate businesses, which grew more and more over the years.

By the 1980s, the Thompson family had entered the drug trade, led by Thompson's son Arthur Jr. It was rumoured that, by the 1990s, Thompson was earning some £100,000 a week as a loan shark.

Thompson was one of the most feared criminals in Scotland. In 1966, he narrowly escaped death when a bomb exploded under his car; his mother-in-law, in the passenger seat, was killed. Shortly afterwards, he spotted two men he suspected of the attack, Patrick Welsh and Eddy Pumphrey, members of the rival Welsh family gang. He forced their van off the road by driving his own car directly at it – the van hit a lamp post and both men were killed.
He was charged with murder but not prosecuted as the police could find no witnesses who would testify.

In 1969, Thompson's wife Rita forced her way into the Welsh home and stabbed Patrick Welsh's wife in the chest; she was jailed for three years. His grandchildren and great grandchildren have to remain anonymous due to safety of the family.

On 18 August 1991 Thompson's son Arthur Jr (nicknamed "Fatboy") died after being shot outside the family home "The Ponderosa". A former enforcer for the Thompson family, Paul Ferris was charged with the murder.

The day of Thompson Jr's funeral a car was found containing the bodies of two friends of Ferris, Robert Glover and Joe Hanlon, who were also suspected of involvement in his death and had been killed by gunshots to the back of the head and up the a**s. Their bodies had been dumped on the route of Fatboy's funeral procession, so that his hearse passed their dead bodies.

There was to be further drama that day as there was also a bomb scare at the cemetery where Thompson Jr was due to be buried. Paul Ferris was charged with Arthur Thompson Jr's murder but was found not guilty.

Thompson died of a heart attack at the age of 61 in 1993.