Post by QPR Report on Feb 4, 2010 9:31:12 GMT
Daily Record
Exclusive: Revealed - the moment DaMarcus Beasley's car was petrol bombed.. as defiant Rangers ace vows he won't be driven out by thugs
Feb 4 2010 By Chris Musson
Picture exclusive: This chilling image shows the moment Beasley's car was engulfed in flames after the petrol bomb attack
SHOCKED Rangers star DaMarcus Beasley has vowed that the thugs who firebombed his car will not force him out of Glasgow.
The Record revealed yesterday that the American winger's £65,000 BMW had been torched outside his flat in the city's west end.
And in an exclusive interview last night, shaken Beasley said he was relieved the attackers targeted his car and not him personally.
Beasley said he had no idea about the motive for the bombing, amid claims it could be an Old Firm hate attack or a personal grudge.
He said: "I don't know how to take it, really. It's pretty crazy.
"If it is a Celtic-Rangers thing then it's obviously not good.
"It has shocked me - you don't expect to be targeted like this. But I'm not going to be too upset by it."
Asked if the attack had made him think twice about playing for Rangers, he said: "No, not really.
"I'm still here, at least." The attack bore the hallmarks of a planned and possibly professional hit.
A hooded figure in dark clothes placed an object - thought to be a container of fuel - under Beasley's BMW 650i. He then walked backwards, pouring fuel for about five metres, and lit it with a lighter. The man then ran off and jumped into a waiting Audi A3 with false number plates which was parked at the bottom of the road.
The white car drove back past the blazing vehicle, then sped off along the quiet streets of Dowanhill at up to 60mph.
Witnesses dialled 999 at 11.05pm and the fire brigade were on the scene five minutes later.
Beasley came out of his penthouse flat, around 30 yards from where his car was parked, as firefighters were putting out the blaze.
He said: "One of my neighbours, who I know, called and said: 'Your car's on fire.'
"My first thoughts were, 'What's going on?' I ran downstairs and luckily the fire people were already there and taking care of it. I was just stood there, a bit shocked."
Fans are speculating that the attack could be linked to Old Firm rivalry but police have refused to discuss possible motives.
They are known to be probing whether the attack could be the result of a personal grudge.
Beasley told us he had never suffered an Old Firm-related attack.
He said the BMW was broken into in December 2008, but added: "I think it was just a coincidence that it was mine."
Residents in Beasley's exclusive neighbourhood were horrified by the firebomb attack.
An eyewitness said: "There was a loud bang, then neighbours started coming to the windows.
"The tyres exploded with massive bangs and the windows smashed. The alarm started going off and the lights started flashing. There was a hell of a commotion.
"It's lucky the petrol tank didn't blow as it's only about three metres from the building and right by some basement flats.
"The white Audi came back past the scene at about 50 to 60mph. It had its lights off and the speed it was doing was quite scary.
"The roads here are dark and the streetlamps don't always work, so it's lucky nobody was in its way.
"They are complicated roads round there and some are blocked off, but the Audi took the fastest way out of Dowanhill to the west."
Mild-mannered Beasley would not usually be seen as a hate figure for rival fans.
But some supporters have claimed he could have been targeted for winding up Celtic supporters on his Twitter page.
Last weekend, Beasley posted a joke sent to him by a Rangers fan, along with the letters "LMAO" - meaning "laughing my a** off".
The joke read: "What do you say to a Celtic fan with a beautiful woman on his arm? Nice tattoo mate."
Yesterday, Beasley thanked Twitter fans who wished him well after the attack on Monday night.
He said: "Thanks for all the messages everyone! I'm doin ok, jus glad no one got hurt."
Rangers have branded the attack "disturbing and deplorable", and police have stepped up patrols of the area.
Detective Sergeant Sandy Johnston said he wantedtotalk to anyone who was in the area of Beasley's street, Queen's Gardens, at around 11pm on Monday.
He added: "In particular, I would like to trace the occupants of a white hatchback car seen in the area, as they may have information that will assist this investigation."
www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/02/04/exclusive-revealed-the-moment-damarcus-beasley-s-car-was-petrol-bombed-as-defiant-rangers-ace-vows-he-won-t-be-driven-out-by-thugs-86908-22017395/
Exclusive: Revealed - the moment DaMarcus Beasley's car was petrol bombed.. as defiant Rangers ace vows he won't be driven out by thugs
Feb 4 2010 By Chris Musson
Picture exclusive: This chilling image shows the moment Beasley's car was engulfed in flames after the petrol bomb attack
SHOCKED Rangers star DaMarcus Beasley has vowed that the thugs who firebombed his car will not force him out of Glasgow.
The Record revealed yesterday that the American winger's £65,000 BMW had been torched outside his flat in the city's west end.
And in an exclusive interview last night, shaken Beasley said he was relieved the attackers targeted his car and not him personally.
Beasley said he had no idea about the motive for the bombing, amid claims it could be an Old Firm hate attack or a personal grudge.
He said: "I don't know how to take it, really. It's pretty crazy.
"If it is a Celtic-Rangers thing then it's obviously not good.
"It has shocked me - you don't expect to be targeted like this. But I'm not going to be too upset by it."
Asked if the attack had made him think twice about playing for Rangers, he said: "No, not really.
"I'm still here, at least." The attack bore the hallmarks of a planned and possibly professional hit.
A hooded figure in dark clothes placed an object - thought to be a container of fuel - under Beasley's BMW 650i. He then walked backwards, pouring fuel for about five metres, and lit it with a lighter. The man then ran off and jumped into a waiting Audi A3 with false number plates which was parked at the bottom of the road.
The white car drove back past the blazing vehicle, then sped off along the quiet streets of Dowanhill at up to 60mph.
Witnesses dialled 999 at 11.05pm and the fire brigade were on the scene five minutes later.
Beasley came out of his penthouse flat, around 30 yards from where his car was parked, as firefighters were putting out the blaze.
He said: "One of my neighbours, who I know, called and said: 'Your car's on fire.'
"My first thoughts were, 'What's going on?' I ran downstairs and luckily the fire people were already there and taking care of it. I was just stood there, a bit shocked."
Fans are speculating that the attack could be linked to Old Firm rivalry but police have refused to discuss possible motives.
They are known to be probing whether the attack could be the result of a personal grudge.
Beasley told us he had never suffered an Old Firm-related attack.
He said the BMW was broken into in December 2008, but added: "I think it was just a coincidence that it was mine."
Residents in Beasley's exclusive neighbourhood were horrified by the firebomb attack.
An eyewitness said: "There was a loud bang, then neighbours started coming to the windows.
"The tyres exploded with massive bangs and the windows smashed. The alarm started going off and the lights started flashing. There was a hell of a commotion.
"It's lucky the petrol tank didn't blow as it's only about three metres from the building and right by some basement flats.
"The white Audi came back past the scene at about 50 to 60mph. It had its lights off and the speed it was doing was quite scary.
"The roads here are dark and the streetlamps don't always work, so it's lucky nobody was in its way.
"They are complicated roads round there and some are blocked off, but the Audi took the fastest way out of Dowanhill to the west."
Mild-mannered Beasley would not usually be seen as a hate figure for rival fans.
But some supporters have claimed he could have been targeted for winding up Celtic supporters on his Twitter page.
Last weekend, Beasley posted a joke sent to him by a Rangers fan, along with the letters "LMAO" - meaning "laughing my a** off".
The joke read: "What do you say to a Celtic fan with a beautiful woman on his arm? Nice tattoo mate."
Yesterday, Beasley thanked Twitter fans who wished him well after the attack on Monday night.
He said: "Thanks for all the messages everyone! I'm doin ok, jus glad no one got hurt."
Rangers have branded the attack "disturbing and deplorable", and police have stepped up patrols of the area.
Detective Sergeant Sandy Johnston said he wantedtotalk to anyone who was in the area of Beasley's street, Queen's Gardens, at around 11pm on Monday.
He added: "In particular, I would like to trace the occupants of a white hatchback car seen in the area, as they may have information that will assist this investigation."
www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/02/04/exclusive-revealed-the-moment-damarcus-beasley-s-car-was-petrol-bombed-as-defiant-rangers-ace-vows-he-won-t-be-driven-out-by-thugs-86908-22017395/
