A gangland thug who plotted to murder rival yobs, including Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel, has been caught with an illicit mobile phone behind bars for a second time. John Hardie, 40, was jailed for 20 years for the plot, which saw a gang of six men carry out a string of savage attacks across Glasgow.
Bonzo, 43, was chased in a 100mph car chase before his motor was rammed and he was viciously attacked with a machete, leaving him scarred for life. Hardie, who is being held at HMP Shotts, Lanarkshire, was caught with an iPhone stashed in the toilet area of his cell during a routine search.
His lawyer claimed it was to keep in contact with his children and his terminally ill mother when Covid restrictions were still in place. Hardie appeared amid tight security at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted possessing the iPhone in February last year.
He was handed a six-month term by Sheriff Thomas Millar but told it would run alongside his current 20 year sentence for the murder plot. The court was told his earliest release date is in 2037 and he will be able to apply for parole in 2027. An allegation Hardie was also in possession of class B cannabinol derivatives was dropped by prosecutors.
Depute fiscal Miriam Farooq said: "Prison officers attended the accused's cell in order to carry out a routine search. The accused was present and compliant with the search. An iPhone was recovered in the cell toilet area."
Linda Findlay, defending, said: "He is currently serving a significant sentence. There were still some Covid restrictions ongoing and he had family commitments with his three children and his mother who was terminally ill."
The lawyer told the court Hardie had not been granted 'home release' to visit his mother before she died and that he had not been assessed for any courses which could help his release.
Sheriff Millar said: "This is now the second offence for having a mobile phone but it is some time before you can apply for parole so the sentence will run concurrently." As he was leaving the dock, Hardie said: "Thanks, your honour."
Hardie had previously admitted having two illicit mobile phones behind bars in August 2020 and was given six months to run alongside his long jail sentence at a hearing the following year. Earlier this year he was taken from HMP Shotts to give a speech at his mum's funeral at Springburn Parish Church in Glasgow.
Hardie along with Brian Ferguson, Andrew Gallacher, Robert Pickett, Andrew Sinclair and Peter Bain were jailed for a total of 104 years in May 2019. 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.
Lord Mulholland told them: "You sought to turn Glasgow into a war zone for your feud. This is a civilised city, which is based on the rule of law. There is no place for this type of conduct, retribution or the law of the jungle."
The men later lost a bid to overturn their convictions.
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