THE alleged Costa del Sol hitman is linked to the notorious Lyons crime clan’s “No1 enemy”, we can reveal.
The suspected assassin Michael Riley is an associate of Fergus ‘Fergie’ Smith, also 45, a crony of their bitter Glasgow-based mob rivals the Daniels.
Riley, of Huyton, near Liverpool, is awaiting trial accused of shooting dead Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46, and Ross Monaghan, 43, in Fuengirola, Spain, in May.
Smith was previously jailed for his role as a Merseyside gang’s “Scots fixer”.
And his son Harris is a pal of Riley’s ‘stepson’ Marcus Allan, 19 — who was wounded in a horror gun attack last month.
The shooter is seen jumping out of a car before firing his weapon at the teenager who attempts to flee.
He was targeted weeks after Riley was extradited to Spain in connection with the executions of the Lyons gang lieutenants.
An insider said: “Fergie’s Merseyside links go back 20 years and Riley’s been involved with the mob there for decades.
“Tensions are running high and the shooting of Marcus ramped things up. Fergie was so concerned he arranged for his son to be flown to Dubai two weeks ago in case he was targeted.”
Budding MMA fighter Marcus – who is the son of Riley’s influencer girlfriend Danielle Allan, 39 – was rushed to hospital after being blasted in the leg and back wounds in the horror attack captured on CCTV.
Smith, of Mount Vernon, Glasgow, was close to Daniel clan enforcer Kevin ‘Gerbil’ Carroll, who was murdered in 2010.
He got a 13-month stretch at Glasgow Sheriff Court in February for breaching his so-called ‘Super-Asbo’.
A source said at the time: “Fergie is a top Daniel associate, so he is enemy No1 for the Lyons.”
Smith flew out to Dubai earlier this year after being released from his latest prison stint.
We told of claims he was part of a Daniels delegation at an October “peace” summit in the Gulf state that descended into violence.
A Lyons hood was said to have been knifed in a desert ambush by thugs linked to the notorious Daniel clan.
He was stabbed after a pre-arranged meet-up between the warring factions in the Gulf state exploded in violence.
It’s claimed among the Daniel crew was Ross Sherlock, who survived an assassination attempt in Bishopbriggs in September 2015, and Smith.
Hood’s drugs rap
FERGUS ‘Fergie’ Smith was the “Scottish connection” in a Merseyside drug gang.
He was 26 when he was jailed for ten years in 2008 alongside 16 other crooks.
Smith worked with crooked couple Christopher and Sharon Pimblett as they sent £40,000 of heroin, cocaine and cannabis to Glasgow every week.
Liverpool Crown Court heard cops seized £1million worth of drugs during their probe plus two firearms and ammunition.
Police meanwhile are still probing the shooting on November 7 in Riley’s home turf of Huyton, near Liverpool.
Marcus — whose only competitive fight saw him choke out fellow amateur Joshua Keneta in 2023 — posted a message from his hospital bed as he continued his recovery.
Merseyside Police launched an appeal to trace a dark-coloured Mercedes spotted being driven from the scene.
Detective Inspector Chris Clark, of the firearms investigation team, said: “We are aware of footage in circulation showing this appalling incident.
“This footage forms part of our investigation.
“We understand the concern such violence causes, and I urge anyone with information to come forward.”
The shooting happened close to the home of social media star Danielle — who appeared on Channel 5’s Who Needs A Man When You’ve Got A Spray Tan and Spray Tan Mums: Single And Proud.
The mum found love with Riley who has spent years behind bars for involvement with crime gangs.
Danielle is understood to share a child with him.
She has shared clips of Riley smiling on their family days out to her more than 70,000 followers on Instagram.
Underworld sources told of their surprise at Riley’s willingness to be photographed and filmed in a way they said could expose him to potential reprisals from enemies.
He was arrested two weeks after a gunman was caught on CCTV ambushing Glasgow gang kingpins Lyons Jnr, 46, and Monaghan, 43, after they watched the Champions League Final at Monaghan’s Irish bar on May 31.
After ditching a fight against his extradition he was flown in October to the Costa del Sol where he is in jail awaiting trial.
An source said: “If Riley is a gangland hitman you’d think he would be keeping a low profile, not shacking up with a reality telly star.
“It’s a rubbish cover because just about everybody in Liverpool knows who his missus is.
“A Spanish prison might be the best place for him because she posts so much about their home life it wouldn’t take a genius to work out where they live.”
We told how Riley’s previous convictions include delivering dirty money to David Hibbs-Turner — one of Liverpool’s most feared mob bosses.
The crimelord was caged in 2008 for at least 37 years after ordering the assassination of rival mobster Michael ‘Mikey’ Wright.
Riley got a ten-year sentence for his role in the gang aged 27 and was again jailed aged 38 in 2018 for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine.
And he was back in handcuffs in June at the hands of the Merseyside force acting on an international warrant issued by Spanish crimefighters.
Spanish authorities claimed Riley was a member of Glasgow’s notorious Daniel gang, who are the Lyons’ bitter rivals after analysing a mobile phone.
But Scots cops played down suggestions the deaths of Lyons Jr and Monaghan were linked to an ongoing turf war here.
Former Union Bears capo Ross ‘Miami’ McGill, 31, of East Kilbride, was said to have triggered the chaos after he was ripped off with fake cash in a £500,000 cocaine deal.
Insiders said he blamed associates of caged Edinburgh cocaine kingpin and Daniels ally Mark Richardson.
We told how McGill was booted out of Dubai in September along with Lyons gang boss Steven Lyons, 44, and convicted drug dealer Steven Larwood, 42.
McGill’s current whereabouts remain unclear.
Police Scotland has meanwhile swept up 62 suspects as part of their ongoing Operation Portaledge probe into the gangland violence.