Ice cream war killer stabbed in second gangland attack

The attack came just days after Thomas McGraw, 49, one of Glasgow's most notorious underworld figures, was stabbed in a street attack near his home in Mount Vernon.

Strathclyde Police said it was ''fair'' to say that the two incidents may be linked.

Campbell, 49, was attacked by two men carrying weapons outside an entrance to Barlanark community education centre beside a primary school, just before 4pm, as hundreds of primary and secondary school children made their way home. He received several stitches in hospital after being hit on the head with a golf club and stabbed in the back. He also suffered extensive bruising to his arms after trying to ward off blows.

At his home in Barlanark last night he spoke of his ordeal. He said: ''The attack was totally out of the blue. I had just left the house and got to the gate of the community centre when a car pulled up and two men jumped out.

''It was faces that I knew from 18 to 20 years ago. But I couldn't remember their names.

''I had one in front of me swiping with a golf club and the other one behind me trying to stab. It was certainly murderous intent.''

Campbell added: ''I was saying 'Leave it out. Look at the witnesses. You are going to go to jail. Don't be stupid'. But they kept coming at me.

''I had my jacket on one arm, using it as a shield. The next thing my jumper was pulled over my head and I was down to my bare midriff.''

At one point Campbell and the other two men were rolling about on the ground during the fight, which lasted about 10 minutes.

He added: ''The problem (for them) was it was lasting too long. It wasn't over as quickly as they were expecting it to be because they couldn't get the blows in.

''My training as a boxer when I was younger helped me to ward off and sidestep blows. It definitely saved my life.

''It was just a nightmare. I can't be accountable for other people's paranoia. If I am the focus of that, something should be done about it.''

A witness from St Andrew's Secondary School said earlier: ''I heard a row and saw three men fighting. One grabbed TC's jumper and pulled it over his head. He seemed to be jabbing him with something. The other one whacked him on the back with a golf club. He was gushing blood.

''TC backed away and was shouting 'Come on, man, we can sort this out like adults'.''

The two men ran to a four-wheel drive vehicle and drove off.

One report of the Friday attack alleged that the Mc-Graw incident happened after he confronted two men with a golf club.

Campbell was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary for treatment but was later al-lowed home.

Last night the entrances to the community centre were blocked off as police interviewed staff. There was a big police presence in the Barlanark area. Several police officers combed the grounds of a cemetery, 100 yards from the scene, for weapons and other clues.

Police removed drugs with an estimated value of (pounds) 1m from Glasgow's east end last weekend.

They said they were aware that Friday's incident involving McGraw, which was not reported to police, and last night's incident may be causing ''some alarm'' among the public.

Campbell and Joe Steele were imprisoned for life in 1984 after being found guilty of murdering six members of the Doyle family, including a baby, whose home in Bankend Street, Ruchazie, Glasgow, was set alight while they were asleep.

The trial followed the eruption of violence as gangs battled for control of lucrative ice cream van routes which were used for drug runs and money-laundering.

Campbell and Steele have protested their innocence. They were granted interim liberation by appeal court judges late last year after the Criminal Cases Review Commission referred the convictions back to the appeal court.

There have been claims that McGraw, who has an estimated fortune of (pounds) 10m, was allegedly involved in the Doyle family attack.