Saturday 27 April 2013

Albert Donoghue - Kray Enforcer

Big Albert Donoghue was an integral member of the Kray gang.  He was the minder to Reg Kray, being very tough and turned against them when he was expected to take the responsibility for a murder committed by somebody else, but he witnessed.  Donoghue was a known young tough and after a friend was badly hurt by the Krays, a remark was reputedly misconstrued and Donoghue was shot in the leg by Reg Kray.  Donoghue said nothing to Police and this earned him recruitment to the Kray mob.

    When Frank "The Mad Axeman" Mitchell escaped from Dartmoor Prison, Donoghue was one who went to take supplies to the house where Mitchell was hiding out.  A woman named Lisa was supplied to keep Mitchell happy, but unfortunately, Mitchell, it is said, fell for her.  But Mitchell became very restless and wanted to get out and about.  Despite his tough reputation, Donoghue knew he would never stop Mitchell, as he had unusually phenomenal strength.  The Krays decided that Mitchell was too much trouble, and asked Freddie Foreman to "sort out" the problem.  A van arrived with Foreman, Alf Gerrard.  When Mitchell climbed into the van, Foreman & Gerrard opened fire, killing Mitchell.  They drove off and let Donoghue out later.  The problem of the girl, Lisa, was sorted out later.  Donoghue took her away from the house, and took her some place where they spent the night together.

    When Reg Kray killed Jack McVitie, Donoghue redecorated the room that the murder occurred in.  When the arrests went down, Donoghue was expected to take the rap for Mitchell but refused to.  He went to the Police.  Even the killer of Mitchell, Foreman, said that the Krays put Donoghue in a difficult situation but he handled it badly.  Foreman later admitted that the evidence Donoghue gave in court was true.  This being the murder of Mitchell.  Yet, when you read his memoirs, yes, there are the exaggerations or lies, but he never made excuses for what he did, and made it clear that they were all thugs.  Kray ass kisser Tony "Gang Boss" Lambrianou liked to paint Donoghue black as black whilst excusing and justifying the actions of his heroes.  "All the men wore three piece suits" said the "Gang Boss".  "Yes" said Donoghue "But we were still thugs!"   In the case of Lisa, when asked if he would have killed her if ordered to, he said that, yes, eventually he would have.  Brutal honesty I call that.  He readily admitted he could kill.  The "Gang Boss" made much of how violent Donoghue was, whilst conveniently ignoring the violence and murder committed by his heroes. 

    Donoghue never hid from anybody, staying in his home area.  According to a book involving Foreman & Lambrianou, Donoghue received a severe beating late on in his life.  Obviously his assailant had to wait until he was old and getting infirm before daring to do something.  Does this indicate how dangerous he was?  Still able to mix it so we will avoid him until he gets really old?  Donoghue was a criminal, a thug who could easily kill, but it made a change to hear somebody say "We were thugs.  We would do anything to anybody!"

5 comments:

  1. Interesting read, my sir name is Donoghue and I live in London today

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  2. Hi there, thanks for your little message, I appreciate any comments that come in, though I did once get a nasty one. sorry but I have been offline for three months due to technicalities. hope you keep reading. regards daryl

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  3. there are hundreds of Donoghue's in London. Further, his real surname is not Donoghue. After the sentencing in March 1969, he fled from East London to Peckham in South East London- SE15. He also had police protection. That Albert decided to write a book on the Kray's after the last of the Kray's family had died- Reginald in 2000, says much for his bravery. Although he admits he was a thug from a very young age, this does not exonerate him from blame, untruths etc. He was a thieves thief,

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  4. Hi Susan, thanks for your comments on Albert Donoghue. He also used the name Barry - cannot remember if that was his real surname, but as I stated, he made no excuses for what he was, unlike virtually all the others who try to justify what they did. Yes, they all tell porkies, that is standard, but some books are total fiction. his book has been updated at least twice, "Krays enforcer" to "with a gun in my hand" from the original "krays Lieutenant" written back in 1995 - slight correction for you. But yes, he was a violent thug, killer in the making, but after reading dozens and dozens of books by criminals, he was the first to make no bones about it, that is what sets him slightly apart from the rest, and that is the point I made. But people still believe the fiction of courtney or Tony "gang boss" lambrianou - described by one man who knew him as "the biggest fannying bastard of them all" Eric Mason chose not to mention his speciality - he was a shoplifter. Did not fit in with gangland credentials. Anyway, Susan, thank you for your comments, contrasting opinions are very welcome. daryl

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  5. His surname was Donoghue. Barry (which he used to confuse the law) was his stepfathers family name.

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