Machete-wielding gang in forensic suits told shopkeeper 'you are going to die here

A Glasgow shopkeeper was left with a chilling message from an armed gang during a brutal attack: "You are going to die here". Mohammed Arif, 37, was ambushed by four thugs clad in forensic suits and masks, wielding machetes, knives and what seemed to be a handgun.

The horrifying assault, caught on CCTV, took place next to Mohammed's Day-Today shop in Pollok, Glasgow, on 13 August 2023. The aftermath saw Mohammed lose his left leg above the knee.

Two of the culprits have now been found guilty of attempted murder. Liam McDonald, 36, and Dylan Haldane, 37 - who already had nearly 70 convictions between them - were convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. They're set to face sentencing next month.

Last year, a court heard how Mohammed was savagely attacked after he decided to cut ties with an organised crime gang (OCG) he'd previously been associated with. It's believed he used to be a former associate of two of the attackers, reports Glasgow Live.

All involved were reportedly part of the same OCG, with Mohammed and his brother implicated in drug dealing. Mohammed told coppers he wanted nothing to do with the drug trade, claiming he was just trying to make ends meet as his shop was floundering.

Both brothers had been keen to distance themselves from the OCG and its criminal activities. The court was told last year that they believed the attack was payback for their decision to break away.

Mohammed and his brother Adnan publicly recounted the terrifying assault for the first time during this week's trial.

Mohammed described to prosecutor Lynsey Rodger how he had stepped out to his van, leaving his brother inside to cash up. It was then that he heard a "bang" and his brother calling out to him.

He told the jury: "I just remember waking up lying on the floor, I was lying outside the shop at the rear of the van.

"I felt exhausted. There was pain in my left foot and I asked my brother to take my shoe off. He was in a panic."

Mohammed recalled seeing armed police and paramedics at the scene. He believes he was later placed into a coma.

Adnan told how he was pulling down the shutters when the attackers descended. He said: "Immediately nothing was making sense to me."

Initially, Adnan noticed one of the assailants dressed in a white forensic suit - he stated there were ultimately four culprits.

When Miss Rodger asked what he thought was happening, he replied: "Just that an attack was happening. There was a second shot and that was when it hit me the bangs were a gun.

"It sunk in. I shouted on my brother. I was frozen. There was a person in dark (clothing) making his way in my direction.

"He was saying: 'you are getting done as well'.

"I remember the one in the white boiler suit standing over my brother and saying: 'You are going to die here fatboy'."

One of the gang members eventually yelled at the others to "stop", according to the sibling.

The gang quickly scarpered, leaving Mohammed in a critical condition with a severe wound to the back of his left knee. The attack had caused significant damage to ligaments, arteries and nerves.

As part of their investigation, police discovered machetes, a forensic suit, a green petrol can and a black rucksack dumped in a bin in Glasgow's Shawlands. A black-handled revolver - capable of firing blanks - was also found hidden in an overgrown garden area.

Although the firearm wasn't illegal and could be "freely possessed", it would have looked like a real gun.

Despite denying any involvement, McDonald and Haldane were taken to trial. However, fellow gang member William Dickson, 39, pleaded guilty last year and has since been sentenced to more than nine years behind bars.

McDonald and Haldane remain in custody as they await sentencing on December 18 in Edinburgh.

Richard Dunn, 46, also faced trial, but the jury returned not proven verdicts.