A Glasgow gangster was given a prison escort so he could give a speech at his mum's funeral.
John Hardie is one of the city's most notorious criminals and was handcuffed to a guard as he gave the eulogy in front of associates from the feared Lyons gang at Springburn Parish Church.
The 39-year-old is serving 20 years for his part in an attack on rival gang leader Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel in May 2017, the Daily Record reports. And police were on the scene at the service amid concerns there could be a reprisal.
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The Lyons and Daniel clans have been embroiled in a city turf war for decades. Hardie and five cronies rammed Bonzo's car after a 100mph chase and hacked him with a machete, leaving him scarred for life.
One source told the Record: "Hardie was one of the top people in the Lyons gang and he is still very much in touch with the mob from inside jail.
"The church was packed and he was taken to the lectern by the guards to give a speech. He spoke for three minutes or so and was quite emotional. He said she was a very good gran for his kids and he spoke very well."
Hardie's mum Helen was just 60 when she died last week. The source added: "Many were there to mourn the death of a friend but everyone would have been aware of the tension.
"There is a lurking menace inside prisons whenever these people are inside, as members of the other side will always seek to settle scores.
"But the dangers will always be amplified on the outside, no matter the occasion, as gangsters have no respect for any occasion."
In August, 2021, Hardie was caught trying to flush a phone down his cell toilet during a search by guards at HMP . They also found a second phone in the cell.
His lawyer claimed he had the phones to keep in touch with his children who were in Spain during the pandemic. But it was feared he was using the phones to maintain contact with his criminal connections.
He was handed a six-month sentence by Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen which will run alongside his 20-year term. The court was told his earliest date of release from his 20-year sentence is in 2037.
After the phones were found, Hardie lost all prison privileges for 28 days. He was also the victim of a "napalm" attack by another prisoner.
Matthew Grady, 35, charged from his cell towards John Hardie pouring the contents of a kettle over him and threw a number of punches.
Other prisoners dragged Grady away from Hardie, who he claimed had threatened him. Grady got 15 months at Hamilton Sheriff Court last May and was told it will begin after his 10-year sentence for a murder attempt on his partner.
In May 2019, Hardie, along with Brian Ferguson, Andrew Gallacher, Robert Pickett, Andrew Sinclair and Peter Bain were jailed for 104 years in total.
The associates of the Lyons criminal family were found guilty of plotting attempts to kill five men linked to their rivals, the Daniel family.
Ferguson, Gallacher and Hardie were each jailed for 20 years, Picket was jailed for 16 years, Bain was jailed for 15 years and Sinclair was jailed for 13 years and three months. The men later lost a bid to overturn their convictions.
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: "Prior to any individual in our care attending appointments outwith the establishment in which they are located, a robust risk assessment is undertaken to ensure security measures are in place."
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