Floral tributes including a gold Rolex, handcuffs and a designer bag have been left at the grave of gangster Paul Macaulay, who died after crashing his motorbike during a police chase in Edinburgh.
Macaulay, 40, died on September 23 after crashing his high-powered Yamaha YZF R6 motorbike during a police chase in Edinburgh last month. He was understood to be the right-hand man for drugs baron Mark Richardson.
Funeral and Tributes
Mourners turned out in droves for his funeral service at Mortonhall Crematorium in the Scottish capital on Friday, October 24, the Daily Record reports. The cortege then made its way to Piershill Cemetery where the floral arrangements were laid out.
The flashy tributes included a gold Rolex watch, a BMW steering wheel, a Cruise designer bag and a pair of handcuffs with a key. The display also included Macaulay's favourite drinks - a can of Red Bull and a Starbucks Frappuccino labelled a "Paul Special".
Unusual Floral Designs
Other tributes showed a giant floral boxing glove, a bumblebee and a Hibs top with Macaulay's name on the back. The unusual creations were made by florist Nikki's Fluers who released pictures of the designs online.
The business said: "Funeral flowers don't always have to be traditional. Sometimes it's the little things that represent someone's personality." Another large tribute appeared to show Macaulay's prisoner number.
Footage shared on social media showed the luxury florals being transported to the cemetery on the back of a truck, flanked by a procession of SUVs and motorbikes.
Shooting After the Funeral
A wake was held for mourners at the The Robin's Nest pub on Gilmerton Road after the funeral. A gunman later shot at the windows of the boozer while funeral goers gathered inside. One man was injured in the melee as people fled in terror.
A source told the Record, Ross McGill's Tamo Junto (TMJ) gang were behind the shooting after stalking the movements of rival figures. Macaulay was one of the 82 people arrested as part of Operation Portaledge amid a gang war that has been raging since March last year. Violence broke out after McGill blamed Richardson's crew for paying for a £500,000 consignment of cocaine using fake bank notes.
Local residents told how they thought the sounds of gunshots were "fireworks" being set off in the street. The boozer was cordoned off by police who guarded the entrance to the scene for days. Forensic teams in white suits were spotted combing the premises.
Police Scotland said they were treating the shooting as a targeted attack but said they do not believe it is linked to Operation Portaledge. Macaulay appeared in court last November alongside David Togher. They were charged with breaking into a property on property on Mortonhall Park Place.
Macaulay was also jailed for seven years in 2017 after being caught with £500,000 worth of heroin. He had over a dozen convictions going back to when he was 16, including involvement in the abduction and robbery of two Rangers youth players, Kal Naismith and Kyle Hutton, in 2010.
