A GANGLAND thug, once cleared of killing a mobster, has been quizzed over two other murders.

Mark Clinton - a former henchman of gangster Paul Ferris - walked free over the slaying of Billy McPhee.

Now, he has been questioned about two other gangland deaths.

Clinton, 36, was taken to Baird Street police station in Glasgow after being picked up in the city's east end by murder squad detectives.

He was quizzed about the death of Thomas Longstaff who was gunned down in the city's Bridgeton area on October 2.

Longstaff was jailed for 10 years for slashing a Celtic fan's throat in a sectarian attack in Bridgeton nine years ago.

Clinton has also been asked to take part in an identity parade in connection with the death of George "Goofy" Docherty.

The 46-year-old was stabbed and run over by a gang in Glasgow's east end on August 28.

A 31-year-old man has already appeared in court over the death.

An associate of Clinton's said: "He can't believe he's been pulled in for two murders in 24 hours.

"He was going to get a paper when the police bundled him in to a motor.

"He didn't deny he was in Bridgeton when Longstaff died but said he had nothing to do with it.

"He doesn't know anything about the other things."

Clinton had charges of murdering Billy McPhee withdrawn in 2004 when the trial collapsed after just one day.

Vital witnesses were unable to identify him as the killer, leading to claims they had been intimidated.

McPhee, 38, a sidekick of millionaire crime boss Tam "The Licensee" McGraw was savagely knifed to death while watching a rugby match in a pub.

No one else has ever been charged with the gangland assassination.

Clinton and Ferris,42, went on to appear in a gritty Channel Five documentary about Glasgow's underworld by TV presenter Donal McIntyre.

Clinton did not deny that he killed McPhee in an interview and bragged that he was one of only three men in Glasgow capable of such violence.

The hoodlum, who needed subtitles to be understood, did confess to other horrific knife crimes.

He was eventually jailed last year for driving while banned and was released in February.

27 October 2006
Exclusive by Cara Page
Daily Record
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