Gangster sparks 'near riot' at Scots maximum security jail leaving three prison officers in hospital

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A member of the feared Lyons gang sparked a near riot at a maximum security jail that left three prison officers in hospital with suspected broken bones.

Convicted murderer Mark Moncrieff, 35, and acid attacker James Smith, 27, encouraged fellow inmates to attack staff during a tense hour-long stand-off at HMP Shotts.

Moncrieff, who laughed in the dock after being convicted of the murder of a dad protecting his daughter, is believed to have been under the influence of drink and drugs during the rampage.Sources said tensions have been running high at the Lanarkshire 553-capacity prison before the attack.One source said: “Moncrieff thinks he’s a hardman and is always bragging about his connection to the Lyons crime gang."He attacked a fellow prisoner seemingly out of the blue.

Moncrieff was clearly off his face."Smith then started threatening staff and encouraging others by saying he would give £50,000 to ­anyone who slashed a guard.”The Daily Record and Sunday Mail have always been at the forefront when it comes to reporting crime in Scotland.But did you know all the ways you can stay informed of the top crime and courts headlines?We share live crime news and exclusive court stories as well as features and columns on historical cases, keeping our readers informed and updated across the country.Moncrieff then barricaded himself into the kitchen area, armed with a blade and broom handle.He was eventually restrained by riot-trained staff before being moved to the Separation Integration Unit.While being moved to the unit – dubbed “the Digger” – he injured a further three guards.The incident saw five staff injured in total with three taken to hospital for further tests.Injuries included a suspected broken wrist, finger and