Jamie Daniel, once described as 'pretty much untouchable' and 'one or two steps ahead of the police' by a former detective, built a criminal empire from humble beginnings in Glasgow's Possilpark. Starting with shoplifting, loan-sharking, and stealing scrap metal, he progressed to melting down stolen aluminium beer barrels for profit.
Early Criminal Career and Imprisonment
In 1983, at age 25, Daniel was jailed for four years in England for heroin smuggling. Undeterred, he expanded into stolen cars, firearms, and drug smuggling, forging links with gangs in London, Manchester, and Liverpool. His dominance remained secret until 2003, when the Sunday Mail named him Scotland's richest underworld figure, ahead of Tam 'The Licensee' McGraw, with an empire worth £16 million annually.
Feuds and Violent Reputation
Daniel's family engaged in a violent feud with the Lyons family, based in the neighbouring Milton estate, over control of Glasgow's drug trade. He earned a reputation for ruthlessness: two doormen who attacked a family member had their cars blown up. In 2000, he was linked to the unsolved murder of drug dealer Frank McPhie, shot by a sniper outside his home weeks after McPhie assaulted a member of Daniel's family.
Downfall and Death
Despite evading law enforcement for years, Daniel's temper led to a 2010 road rage incident with a student driver near his Jordanhill home. He chased the driver, tried to grab him, and battered the car with a metal pole. At Glasgow Sheriff Court, he admitted breach of the peace and two counts of assaulting a fellow prisoner while on remand in Barlinnie prison. He was jailed for a year and served six months.
Daniel died in 2016 after a four-year battle with cancer. His funeral at Clydebank Crematorium featured Elvis Presley's 'In the Ghetto' and was attended by 600 mourners. The civil celebrant described him as a scrap metal dealer who enjoyed bungee jumping, hunting, jet skiing, playing pool, and supporting Rangers. No mention was made of his criminal past; instead, he was portrayed as a loving family man with 10 children and 10 grandchildren. The celebrant added: 'He was someone who liked to be in control and was usually two steps ahead of everyone else. You either loved him or hated him. But Jamie liked it that way.'
Legacy and Media Portrayal
A 2019 Channel 5 documentary, delayed for legal reasons due to the trial of Lyons gang members for the attempted murder of Daniel's nephew Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel, featured former Detective Inspector David Moran, who said: 'He had the reputation of being one or two steps ahead of the police and pretty much untouchable.'
