A family of four targeted in a firebomb attack linked to the murder of Graham “Kermit” Williamson fled their home after their dog raised the alarm.
They escaped after a Range Rover was set on fire on the driveway of their home, which sources said was the property of one of three men accused of Williamson’s murder.
A 50-year-old woman, her 49-year-old husband and two teenage girls, aged 17 and 13, were inside the property in Ferniegair, near Hamilton, when the vehicle was set alight.
The blaze spread to the front door of the house before emergency services, including police and two fire engines, reached the scene just after 1.35am on Saturday.
Debris from the burnt-out vehicle was still on the driveway yesterday.
The family escaped unhurt from the attack – but sources confirmed the property is the home of one of three men accused of Williamson’s murder.
The intended target was not in the property at the time of the attack as he is currently on remand awaiting trial.
A source said: “If the family’s dog hadn’t alerted them to the car being set on fire, they would all be in the morgue just now.
“The dog started barking. The woman got up and checked CCTV and the next thing there was an explosion.
“The fire spread to the front door but, luckily, the police and fire service were there within five minutes or the CID would have had another four murder inquiries on their hands. The girls were hysterical.”
Williamson, 26, was in his garden in Caithness Street, Blantyre, when he was shot dead on August 17. The source added: “There’s been so many reprisals since Kermit’s murder, it’s terrifying.
“The family have been told not to go outside for their own safety because they’re under constant threat.
“They’ve been followed and been sent messages on social media of guns being pointed at their faces.
“They’ve been given a panic alarm so if they press it, police will be on the scene within three minutes and cops are patrolling the street every 15 minutes. This is the second time one of their cars has been set on fire since August.”
Three men have appeared in court charged with murdering Williamson.
They made no plea and were remanded in custody.
The heartbroken partner of Williamson has said she will “fight with every breath” to protect his reputation after rumours appeared online linking him to criminal activity.
Amanda Jane McGuire, 26, who had been with Williamson for 10 years and is mum to his two-year-old son, said: “We were a happy young family with our whole lives ahead of us and that has been cruelly taken from us.
“Graham had absolutely no involvement with drugs at all – everything we had came from nothing more than legitimate hard work.”
Police confirmed they were investigating Saturday’s blaze.
