To many people, the land of Robin Hood, Little John & Will Scarlet being labelled the one time "gun capital of Britain" would be ludicrous. This should apply to London, Liverpool, Glasgow & Manchester, but Nottingham? Surely some huge mistake. Sadly it was not. Two brothers from the Bestwood estate, Colin & David Gunn, showed just how violent, organised crime is everywhere. They were born in 1965 (David) & 1967(Colin) on the Bestwood estate, where by the early 90`s they were making a bit of a reputation for themselves with thefts, burglaries, stolen goods, and naturally, violence.
By 1997, they had upped the ante by getting immersed in the drugs world and spread their tentacles to include extortion, robbery, loan sharking, fraud and ringing of cars. It is claimed that Colin Gunn amassed a multi-million pound fortune. A blip in their activities occurred in November 1998, when David Gunn received a prison sentence of 4 years 9 months for grievous bodily harm and threats to kill a man called keith Copeland, after a fight outside a pub. Colin Gunn put his extensive knowledge of the underworld to use by becoming a registered police informer! He supplied top notch information that was designed to take his rivals off the streets. Pretty much what many drug pushers do now.
It was August 2003, and a friend of the Gunns, 22 year old Marvyn Bradshaw was shot dead. However, it was believed that the wrong man had been killed, and the actual target was alleged to have been the Gunns` nephew, Jamie Gunn. The triggerman, Michael O`Brien was arrested and charged with murder, and was jailed for life. Whilst in the court, O`Brien taunted both the family of the victim and Colin Gunn himself. A year later, John & Joan Stirland were shot dead, in the village of Trusthorpe. Colin Gunn, Michael McNee & John Russell for jailed for 35 years for conspiracy to murder. Joan Stirland was the mother of O`Brien. After the trial, rioting broke out on the Bestwood by supporters of the Gunns. Colin Gunn was shipped off to Long lartin prison in Leicester, then transferred to high security Belmarsh prison in South London. It is feared by authorities that escape is his only thought.
David Gunn was jailed for supplying amphetamine, and another man involved in the Bradshaw murder, Gary Salmon, received a life sentence. Newspaper reports claimed that Gunn had fifty gun-toting henchmen at his beck and call, and it moved Nottingham into the realms of a gangland city.
Thursday, 10 April 2014
Wednesday, 9 April 2014
Peter Stockley - Hero or Villain?
Peter Stockley is a familiar name in Liverpool that draws opinions from both sides. Some see him as a former hardman who has turned vigilante against the tide of violent crime in the city, and there are those who see him as having his own agenda. This man from Kirkdale in Liverpool, worked first as a doorman and so would have been involved in many violent confrontations with scallies and criminals. He eventually ran his own club called the QT, but did have many run-ins with protection racketeers, and he was lucky to have avoided running into a man strategically placed with a sawn-off shotgun. He revealed this during a Granada Reports TV special on big time crime in Liverpool. Others featured included burly doorman Eddie Bean, and the doyen of criminal lawyers in Liverpool, Rex Makin.
Peter Stockley did serve a seven year prison sentence for shooting at a car that allegedly tried to run him down. Some years later, he received six years for manslaughter after taking a gun off somebody and during the ensuing argument, it went off and killed the other person. He was described in the national newspapers as being "The hardman of Liverpool`s gangland!" Some say that this was an accident but there are others that have disagreed. Later he ran a rough pub in Huyton called The Eagle & Child. One person described him to me as a "real hard fucker!" The sort you need to be when you run a rough pub.
Now he runs a community centre in Dovecot and actually goes out touring the streets, hoping to stop any trouble. He did receive a severe beating at the hands of six assailants, some using knuckledusters, over a dispute 20 years ago. Mr Stockley was 65 at the time, but still able to handle himself. Peter Stockley has written four manuscripts with the first now available as an ebook, telling of his earlier life and the villains he found himself around. As I said earlier, there are people who do not see him as a sort of local hero, but do they put themselves in the firing line like he has, especially at his age?
Two things sprang to mind over what I have written. First, Albert Donoghue, who turned on the Krays after they gallantly expected him to take the rap for the murder of Frank Mitchell, was severely beaten up some years ago. No doubt the assailant(s) had to wait until he was older and infirmer before doing so. Second, in my home town of Ellesmere Port, the pub The Wheatsheaf(Now a Wetherspoons), was a pub I avoided. It was full of troublemakers, dickheads who became big men with lots of alcohol in them and a gang behind them, and had an atmosphere that reeked of trouble. Then, on the two occasions it was managed by one Terry "Bomber" Swan, it changed. Why? Because Bomber was a real hard man and everybody was shit scared of him! Just thought I would drop these in as afterthought.
Peter Stockley did serve a seven year prison sentence for shooting at a car that allegedly tried to run him down. Some years later, he received six years for manslaughter after taking a gun off somebody and during the ensuing argument, it went off and killed the other person. He was described in the national newspapers as being "The hardman of Liverpool`s gangland!" Some say that this was an accident but there are others that have disagreed. Later he ran a rough pub in Huyton called The Eagle & Child. One person described him to me as a "real hard fucker!" The sort you need to be when you run a rough pub.
Now he runs a community centre in Dovecot and actually goes out touring the streets, hoping to stop any trouble. He did receive a severe beating at the hands of six assailants, some using knuckledusters, over a dispute 20 years ago. Mr Stockley was 65 at the time, but still able to handle himself. Peter Stockley has written four manuscripts with the first now available as an ebook, telling of his earlier life and the villains he found himself around. As I said earlier, there are people who do not see him as a sort of local hero, but do they put themselves in the firing line like he has, especially at his age?
Two things sprang to mind over what I have written. First, Albert Donoghue, who turned on the Krays after they gallantly expected him to take the rap for the murder of Frank Mitchell, was severely beaten up some years ago. No doubt the assailant(s) had to wait until he was older and infirmer before doing so. Second, in my home town of Ellesmere Port, the pub The Wheatsheaf(Now a Wetherspoons), was a pub I avoided. It was full of troublemakers, dickheads who became big men with lots of alcohol in them and a gang behind them, and had an atmosphere that reeked of trouble. Then, on the two occasions it was managed by one Terry "Bomber" Swan, it changed. Why? Because Bomber was a real hard man and everybody was shit scared of him! Just thought I would drop these in as afterthought.
David Hibbs-Turner - Crime Boss
Liverpool has been awash since the 60`s with names such as Roy Adams, Tommy Comerford, Charlie Siega, Terry O`Neill, Billy Grimwood, Fitzgibbons, Ungi, Palmer, Showers, Duresses, Campbells, Warren, The She Club, The Crow`s Nest, and many more. Most of these were villains, some were real hard nut doormen, and this tradition of the city continuing to be a major underworld city, has been carried on by a man named David Hibbs-Turner. He ran a drugs syndicate that made him and his associates very wealthy, but this ended with being convicted of ordering the murder of a rival, Michael Wright. Along with other offences, David Hibbs-Turner received a very heavy sentence of a minimum of 37 years, with twelve other members of his criminal enterprise receiving sentences of between 8 to 15 years.
This has been another extremely successful operation by Merseyside Police, which ran a covert surveillance and intelligence gathering operation that ran from September 2004 to February 2007. This came about through tip-offs from members of the community, which may be turning the tide against big time villains and their drug dealings, As Charlie Siega once said "fear only runs so far". The Police managed to seize over £4 million worth of narcotics, but were realistic enough to know that this was just a very small amount. Turner and his associates acquired Vauxhall Combi Vans that had been adapted with secret compartments to bring back drugs from the European hotspots such as Spain & Amsterdam.
Once the drugs were safely in Liverpool, addresses in exclusive areas were used to cut and dilute the drugs for passing on to the streets of the North West and beyond. Police raided a home of Fazakarley man Hibbs-Turner and discovered over £160,000 in a closet under the stairs. He did not bother going to court to try and get it back. An example of how much money he was raking in, was shown by him owning other properties plus one in Marbella. On another raid in the city centre, drugs worth an estimated £2 million were seized. Not only that, but a machine gun fitted with a silencer was found. Forensic tests revealed that it was allegedly used in another six shooting incidents. No doubt the vacuum created by his arrest has already been filled.
This has been another extremely successful operation by Merseyside Police, which ran a covert surveillance and intelligence gathering operation that ran from September 2004 to February 2007. This came about through tip-offs from members of the community, which may be turning the tide against big time villains and their drug dealings, As Charlie Siega once said "fear only runs so far". The Police managed to seize over £4 million worth of narcotics, but were realistic enough to know that this was just a very small amount. Turner and his associates acquired Vauxhall Combi Vans that had been adapted with secret compartments to bring back drugs from the European hotspots such as Spain & Amsterdam.
Once the drugs were safely in Liverpool, addresses in exclusive areas were used to cut and dilute the drugs for passing on to the streets of the North West and beyond. Police raided a home of Fazakarley man Hibbs-Turner and discovered over £160,000 in a closet under the stairs. He did not bother going to court to try and get it back. An example of how much money he was raking in, was shown by him owning other properties plus one in Marbella. On another raid in the city centre, drugs worth an estimated £2 million were seized. Not only that, but a machine gun fitted with a silencer was found. Forensic tests revealed that it was allegedly used in another six shooting incidents. No doubt the vacuum created by his arrest has already been filled.
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
The Murder of Ian Grant
This is an unsolved case that has been reopened after more than 15 years, after a breakthrough in forensics was revealed, and people were finally coming forward to speak to Police. As this is apparently ongoing, I can only state facts of the case going back to the initial enquiry. 24 year old Ian Grant was a doorman, from Cherry Hinton, in Cambridgeshire, who had left his home in Speedwell Close at around 8pm. The date was November 14th 1995. Just after midnight, his body was found on waste ground close to the Fulbourn Hospital in Cherry Hinton. He had been shot in the head, and it was believed that this was an underworld execution. Two weeks previously, his girlfriend Samantha Kerslake, had her car set ablaze outside their home.
She made an emotional appeal on TV for anybody who knows anything, to come forward. This did not produce any leads, and it was believed that a climate of fear existed. Later, two men stood trial at Norwich Crown Court, charged with conspiracy to murder but were both acquitted. It was revealed that Mr Grant was in the process of setting up his own security company, and it was believed that this was the factor behind the killing. There were bitter rivalries between security companies in the 80`s & 90`s over the running of nightclub doors, throughout the UK. The reason for this was drugs. You control the doors, you control the pushers going in. Many criminals have made substantial amounts from this. A good solid door firm preventing certain persons from getting into clubs, hurts the pockets and so this has resulted in killings, gang warfare et al. Was Mr Grant an obstacle in the way? Police said in 2013 that the climate of fear seemed to be lifting, as laws were being passed that rigidly controlled licences being given to door firms, with vetting, criminal record checks, and regular spot checks by authorities.
She made an emotional appeal on TV for anybody who knows anything, to come forward. This did not produce any leads, and it was believed that a climate of fear existed. Later, two men stood trial at Norwich Crown Court, charged with conspiracy to murder but were both acquitted. It was revealed that Mr Grant was in the process of setting up his own security company, and it was believed that this was the factor behind the killing. There were bitter rivalries between security companies in the 80`s & 90`s over the running of nightclub doors, throughout the UK. The reason for this was drugs. You control the doors, you control the pushers going in. Many criminals have made substantial amounts from this. A good solid door firm preventing certain persons from getting into clubs, hurts the pockets and so this has resulted in killings, gang warfare et al. Was Mr Grant an obstacle in the way? Police said in 2013 that the climate of fear seemed to be lifting, as laws were being passed that rigidly controlled licences being given to door firms, with vetting, criminal record checks, and regular spot checks by authorities.
Graham Backhouse - Killer
Graham Backhouse was revealed to be a calculating killer who would even go to the lengths of attempting to murder his wife in order to clear his debts. It was in April 1984, that 40 year old Margaret Backhouse got into her Volvo car to do some errands. When she turned the ignition, there was an explosion that badly damaged her legs and buttock areas. Her husband, 44 year old Graham Backhouse, claimed he was the victim of a hate campaign, and shortly afterwards, a note was found pinned to a gate with the message "You're next!" Police immediately placed a 24 hour guard on his farm at Horton, near Chipping Sodbury. He later requested the guard be removed after a panic button was installed at their home.
The panic button was activated just after it was set up, with Police racing to Widdenhill Farm. There they found a neighbour, Colyn Bedale-Taylor, lying with a fatal shotgun wound to his chest. Clutched in his hand was a stanley knife. Backhouse was found in another room, bleeding from wounds to his face and body. He said that Mr Bedale-Taylor had come to his house, claiming that he was to do some repairs on some furniture. Backhouse told him that there was no repairs necessary, and at that point, Mr Bedale attacked him, saying he was responsible for the death of his son in a car crash, a couple of years earlier. He also allegedly told Backhouse that he planted the car bomb. After being slashed with the knife, he escaped to grab his shotgun and had no choice but to shoot him.
When the forensics experts arrived and went over the crime scene, Mr Bedale had blood on his hands, which would not have gotten there if he was wielding a knife. They also determined that the slash wounds were self-inflicted. They examined the background and finances of Backhouse and discovere he was heavily in debt. His wife, Margaret, had a £50,000 life insurance policy in which Backhouse had doubled not so long ago. He was arrested and charged with murdering Colyn Bedale-Taylor and the attempted murder of his wife. He was convicted on February 19th 1985 and given two life sentences.
The panic button was activated just after it was set up, with Police racing to Widdenhill Farm. There they found a neighbour, Colyn Bedale-Taylor, lying with a fatal shotgun wound to his chest. Clutched in his hand was a stanley knife. Backhouse was found in another room, bleeding from wounds to his face and body. He said that Mr Bedale-Taylor had come to his house, claiming that he was to do some repairs on some furniture. Backhouse told him that there was no repairs necessary, and at that point, Mr Bedale attacked him, saying he was responsible for the death of his son in a car crash, a couple of years earlier. He also allegedly told Backhouse that he planted the car bomb. After being slashed with the knife, he escaped to grab his shotgun and had no choice but to shoot him.
When the forensics experts arrived and went over the crime scene, Mr Bedale had blood on his hands, which would not have gotten there if he was wielding a knife. They also determined that the slash wounds were self-inflicted. They examined the background and finances of Backhouse and discovere he was heavily in debt. His wife, Margaret, had a £50,000 life insurance policy in which Backhouse had doubled not so long ago. He was arrested and charged with murdering Colyn Bedale-Taylor and the attempted murder of his wife. He was convicted on February 19th 1985 and given two life sentences.
Monday, 7 April 2014
"You Could Not Make It Up"
Every so often you will hear something on the TV or radio that will defy belief. This week gone, that serial killer Levi Bellfield was awarded £4,500 compensation by the authorities, because he received a smacking in prison. No doubt the families of his victims, one of whom was young Millie Dowler, would have spat blood in disgust at this betrayal of the victims. It is very ironical that Bellfield cried foul after being hit, despite the fact he was used his huge bulk to bully and intimidate people whilst working as a wheel clamper. Some would say that is the typical bully. Run and cry when somebody gives you a taste of your own medicine.
You could not make it up when it has now come out that records were never kept about notorious child killer Ian Huntley. He and Maxine Carr moved around frequently, because he was facing rape and sexual assault allegations. Because the parents did not want to put their children through an ordeal of having to stand up in court and probably have their characters dragged through the mud and assassinated, no charges were proffered. Incredibly, no records were kept, otherwise two young girls would be alive today. The age range of his victims ran from 10 to 15. Whilst living in Norfolk, a man stopped Huntley beating Carr, but she was angry with the man for doing so. The reason would be because her screams alerted this man, no doubt she was going to pay for it, later, in private. This does no hide the fact that she should have given him up, straight away.
What about that most infamous of women killers, Hindley? She spent a couple of decades manipulating people into believing her bollocks about not committing any murders, then admitting she did, hatching plans to get out of jail. I find it very troubling that her supporters felt "betrayal" when she finally confessed to all the murders. Amazing how people can be taken in by a woman who willingly lured those children to their deaths. She had all the chances not to do it, but no, she did it. Not, as the story goes, to please Brady, but simply because she was as twisted as him. Brady has never made excuses for what he is, but she had. You can look at some killer couples and see something very plain. Brady never killed until he met her. Rapist Paul Bernardo never killed until he met Karla Homolka. Alvin Neeley never killed until he met his wife, Judith. Does this say something? Yep, it sure does.
You could not make it up when it has now come out that records were never kept about notorious child killer Ian Huntley. He and Maxine Carr moved around frequently, because he was facing rape and sexual assault allegations. Because the parents did not want to put their children through an ordeal of having to stand up in court and probably have their characters dragged through the mud and assassinated, no charges were proffered. Incredibly, no records were kept, otherwise two young girls would be alive today. The age range of his victims ran from 10 to 15. Whilst living in Norfolk, a man stopped Huntley beating Carr, but she was angry with the man for doing so. The reason would be because her screams alerted this man, no doubt she was going to pay for it, later, in private. This does no hide the fact that she should have given him up, straight away.
What about that most infamous of women killers, Hindley? She spent a couple of decades manipulating people into believing her bollocks about not committing any murders, then admitting she did, hatching plans to get out of jail. I find it very troubling that her supporters felt "betrayal" when she finally confessed to all the murders. Amazing how people can be taken in by a woman who willingly lured those children to their deaths. She had all the chances not to do it, but no, she did it. Not, as the story goes, to please Brady, but simply because she was as twisted as him. Brady has never made excuses for what he is, but she had. You can look at some killer couples and see something very plain. Brady never killed until he met her. Rapist Paul Bernardo never killed until he met Karla Homolka. Alvin Neeley never killed until he met his wife, Judith. Does this say something? Yep, it sure does.
Candice DeLong - FBI Profiler
Miss DeLong belongs to that extremely small band of female profilers in the FBI, working alongside the likes of Mary O`Toole ( Clarice Starling was based on her) and Dayle Hinman. Candice was one of four siblings - she had three brothers - and her first career move was qualifying as a psychiatric nurse and working for nearly ten years in that service. She had married at 19 but the marriage did not last, and she raised her one and only son as a single parent. She opted for a career change by hoping to get into the FBI, having listened to stories about Eliot Ness, from her father. Later, she learned that her father was in a Chicago speakeasy when it was raided by Ness and his men, and then became an informant for Ness.
As with all female recruits to the Bureau, she had to fight the rampant sexism and barriers being put up in front of them by officers that were simply dinosaurs. She won a lot of respect for her arrests and dedication, helping catch the Unabomber, terrorists (The Puerto Rican FALN) serial rapists & killers. Her hard work paid off when she won acceptance to the fledgling Behavioural Sciences Unit, learning from their distinguished tutors, John Douglas, Roy Hazelwood & Robert Ressler. It is a far cry from the supersonic speed at piecing together a profile and solving the case for the thick local cops as portrayed in "Criminal Minds".
Candice now she has retired from the Bureau, does consultancy on the TV series "Deadly Women" in which she reviews all the known evidence on the cases shown and offers her opinions. What is refreshing, is that she pulls no punches in her evaluations. Imagine what it would be like if it was Dr Phil giving opinions! If she believes a woman is a sociopath, or an out & out bitch, she says so. She does no excuse any behaviour, as many of these documentaries go on about how much of a troubled and turbulent childhood these killers had. Big deal! Many people suffer horrendous childhoods in one form or another, but that has not made them psychotic or turn into serial killers. We need more plain talking people on these shows, like Candice DeLong.
As with all female recruits to the Bureau, she had to fight the rampant sexism and barriers being put up in front of them by officers that were simply dinosaurs. She won a lot of respect for her arrests and dedication, helping catch the Unabomber, terrorists (The Puerto Rican FALN) serial rapists & killers. Her hard work paid off when she won acceptance to the fledgling Behavioural Sciences Unit, learning from their distinguished tutors, John Douglas, Roy Hazelwood & Robert Ressler. It is a far cry from the supersonic speed at piecing together a profile and solving the case for the thick local cops as portrayed in "Criminal Minds".
Candice now she has retired from the Bureau, does consultancy on the TV series "Deadly Women" in which she reviews all the known evidence on the cases shown and offers her opinions. What is refreshing, is that she pulls no punches in her evaluations. Imagine what it would be like if it was Dr Phil giving opinions! If she believes a woman is a sociopath, or an out & out bitch, she says so. She does no excuse any behaviour, as many of these documentaries go on about how much of a troubled and turbulent childhood these killers had. Big deal! Many people suffer horrendous childhoods in one form or another, but that has not made them psychotic or turn into serial killers. We need more plain talking people on these shows, like Candice DeLong.
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