MACHETE AND FIRE ATTACK THUGS' 'OUT OF CONTROL GANGSTERISM'

Six caged after victims maimed and prison officers' cars are set ablaze

- By Richard Elias and Grant McCabe

SIX thugs are behind bars following a series of gang-land attacks which have been described by a judge as "out-of-control gangsterism".

Among the targets for the mob were cars belonging to prison officers working at Scotland's only private jail.

Another victim included a man whose hand was left "hanging off" after he was ambushed with knife-wielding attackers.

Last night, detectives said the offenders had shown "no regard" for the public during the attacks.

Michael Heeps, 34, John Murray, 25, Lee Ridgway, 32, Dale Bauld, 33, Damien Mullen, 26, and Ryan McGovern, 33, were all found guilty of being complicit in the attacks.

They carried out a series of attacks in and around Edinburgh from late 2022 and early 2023 at various sites, including HMP Addiewell prison in West Lothian.

Those firebombings occurred on Saturday January 7, 2023, when a total of six vehicles were set alight.

The cars all belonged to prison staff working the night shift that evening.

Addressing the prisoners yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow, the trial judge was scathing in his comments.

Judge Lord Mulholland told them: "You have been convicted, to varying degrees, of a number of serious charges which can only be described as out of control gangsterism.