The Kirkstone Riot Squad is a feared Litherland gang named after the Kirkstone Road North area which has been a flashpoint for crime and disorder over recent years. A former community leader - known for driving a white Rolls Royce through the streets of Toxteth - he had spent years locked up in a Turkish jail over his role in an international smuggling plot. The worst thing I ever got involved in was heroin. Mercer was found guilty of murder following a nine-week trial in December 2008 and jailed for a life, with a minimum sentence of 22 years behind bars. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Another Deli Mob thug Paul Dwyer was jailed in 2018 after he kidnapped a drug dealer found covered in blood and begging for help in the boot of his own car. In the end, they all fell foul of the law. Liverpool Gangster: Stephen "The Devil" French | True Crime Podcast 113 Shaun Attwood 242K views 2 years ago 6 Million Bank Robber Part 1: Ian 'Blink' MacDonald | True Crime Podcast 7 Shaun. Some of our region's most notorious criminal cases. Over 30 years he's defended in 70 murder cases - many involving gangsters. Cultivated cannabis was found together with hydraulic presses and other equipment for the production of Class A drugs. Two brothers built Liverpool's most powerful drug gang - close to being seen as a bona fide cartel to rival Europe's significant criminal factions from Ireland, Russia and North Africa. Lunt also had access to an Uzi sub-machine gun that could fire 600 rounds a minute, as well as a sawn-off shotgun. The citizens of 1880s Liverpool lived in fear of gangs of organised robbers - real or imagined. In 2017, Darren and Daniel's brother Stephen Gee was jailed for brutally robbing an OAP while high on cocaine and his dead brothers anti-psychotic medication. The Strand Gangs rival crime firm was the Croxteth Crew, a gang which operated in nearby Croxteth. shipments of cocaine and cannabis from Merseyside to Northern Ireland. We Hope You Enjoy It! @StreetCrimeUK @streetcrimeusa @streetcrimeaustralia Join This Channel And Help Support Our Causehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwONzANTGhD9I4WCRTChMMg/joinStay Connected Via Our Website, YouTube channel, and Facebook. Liverpool was badly hit - a problem exacerbated further by the increasing popularity of smokable heroin. In 2017 the ECHO revealed that gang, called the Kirkstone Riot Squad, was exerting a malign influence on the streets of Litherland. Nearly 750 people were arrested and guns and drugs seized after detectives cracked the EncroChat system. As different immigrant communities arrived in Liverpool, drugs came in with them. "This was like a seven mile treasure trove of goods to pilfer for poor people," says Macilwee. If you've no purpose you're living a meaningless existence - if you're leading a meaningless existence there's only one thing that will fill that void and it usually involves violence. A licensing hearing at Sefton Magistrates Court heard members of the gang had been causing trouble in a trendy bar on South Road in Waterloo. Moore and his gang had gone looking for revenge after a fight between their associates and rivals earlier that day. The list includes a wide array of films and TV shows, ranging from those that were almost entirely shot and set in the city (e.g. Ryan Lloyd, 19, Thomas Forshaw, 18 and Sean Farrell, who was just 16-year-old, were convicted of Smith's murder and jailed. He enlisted two cronies to help him carry out the vicious armed attack on Lee Siner at a city centre kebab house. liverpool gangsters list. He made the pensioner drive home to show him ID, where he demanded the elderly victim hand over a 1,000 fine, or 100 deposit. "My close blood brother Andrew John was shot dead in the street like a dog", Andrew's brother, Carl John remembers, "It wasn't drug related, but it was related to to the gang mentality that was taking over a lot of major cities and urban inner city dwellings, like Liverpool ghetto areas.". Quinton admitted possessing a Glock with intent to endanger life, possessing a silencer, possessing a revolver, two counts of possessing ammunition and handling stolen goods. The High Rip Gang stalked the streets of Liverpool in the 1880s. 1999 - Curtis Warren kills an inmate during a fight and is charged with manslaughter. Here are 8 of England's most notorious gangs. Ringleader Paul Whitney, then 32, of Fazakerley, was jailed for nine years and four months while his associate Matthew Mayor, from Haydock, received eight years and four months. Peter Clarke, a former weapons instructor in the Kings Regiment, admitted organising the cocaine conspiracy, while Stephen Clarke admitted managing a network of cannabis farms. The Story Of Sam Walker Is One That Will Never Be Forgotten In The UK Criminal Underworld From Surviving On The Tough Streets Of Liverpool, Mixing With Some Of The Most Dangerous Criminals In The UK And Spending Years Of His Life In Jail Most Thought It Was The End Of The Road For Mr Walker However, Throughout His Trials And Tribulations, Mr Walker Has Somehow Always Been Able To Find Time To Help Those Who Are Less Fortunate Than Himself (Even If At Times This Means Putting His Own Freedom At Risk To Help Others) From Liverpool To Africa, Men Women And Children, Those In High Positions Of Power To People With Nothing All Know The Name, Sam WalkerStreet Crime UK Asks You To Join Us As We Take A Look Into Real UK Crimes And UK Criminal History With In-Depth UK Crime Documentaries Our Mission Is To Help The Younger Generation Learn From The Mistakes Made In The Past And To Hopefully Show That No Matter How Bad Your Situation Or Circumstances There Is Always A Way To Change And Do Good We Are Dedicated To Pushing The Boundaries When Bringing New Media And Content To Our Audience.Stay Connected Via Our Website, YouTube channel, and Facebook. Foy was busted through an extensive Merseyside Police operation targeting the supply of illicit substances across Sefton. He has been on the run for so long some have claimed he is actually dead - though last year someone claimed to have seen the scarred fugitive in Australia. For several decades Liverpool gangsters have made huge fortunes from crime - some have been jailed, others were killed, and a few have become reformed characters. The cocaine is in containers and the main port of entry is Liverpool," said one Mexican official. Then in 1980 things changed forever. Commerford had been running his international empire from his council flat in Liverpool - while claiming the dole. The ECHO looks at some of the region's highest profile crooks to see where they are now, Get the latest crime reports and stories from Liverpool Echo straight to your inbox. Rather than get his hands dirty, he directed others to produce, store, collect and distribute drugs to gangs across England and Scotland. Another gangster was once executed in Charlie's kitchen - shot to death at point blank range. Find your nearest vaccination centre by entering your postcode below. In May 2020, Fernhill gang member Jack Quinton, 26, was jailed over a weapons arsenal including an Italian revolver and a semi-automatic Glock with a silencer. In order to enforce their dominance they collected an arsenal of weapons including several pistols and a double barrelled shotgun, and made petrol bombs out of Lucozade bottles filled with white spirit. The Whitney gang were a family drugs ring that flooded the streets of Liverpool with drugs, peddled crack and heroin next to school playgrounds and lived a life of luxury off the back of it. He is listed in the Sunday Times as a property developer with a fortune estimated at 85 million. Geoffrey Lowe, prosecuting, described him as being part of a generic group of people called the Linacre Young Guns - a gang that operates across Bootle and Seaforth which is said to have come into conflict with the infamous Fernhill Gang on the streets of south Sefton. Anything else you need to know - The Liverpool Echo has a dedicated crime reporter in Joe Thomas. Back in 2014, in a letter penned to his solicitors, he vowed to prove his innocence and launch an appeal against a 15 year jail sentence. shipments of cocaine and cannabis from Merseyside to Northern Ireland. Ian Unsworth, QC, prosecuting, described dad-of-two Joseph, then 44, as the hands-off "principal" of a ultra secretive organisation. The same device also recorded the brothers singing a pop song called 'It's all about the money.'. He too was sprung from the prison van in Salford by an armed gang, but later caught after fleeing the country. James Cullen, representing Merseyside Police, said members of the Kirkstone Riot Squad were out of control in the bar and that door staff were unable to deal with the situation. Robbery was also the trademark of one of Charlie's contemporaries - Tommy Commerford, known to his mates as 'Tacker'. Drugs were stored in safe houses, with deals done in alleyways and side streets. Website - https://streetcrimeuk.com/Facebook - https:https://www.facebook.com/groups/382950779637126Merch://https://teespring.com/stores/street-crime-ukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/street_crime_uk/ Gang leader James Lunt backed up his exploits with an arsenal of weapons that included a Beretta handgun responsible for 17 shootings on Merseyside alone. As power transferred to the Shiels brothers, the gangs geographical hub shifted away from north Bootle and toward the Park Lane estate, known to locals as Dodge. They built criminal empires which left a trail of misery and violence. They are largely family-run organised criminal gangs involved in many illegal activities in their respective areas. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. They took their name from their favourite haunt at the time, outside the Strand shops in Scargreen Avenue. Showers, now in his 70s, always denied the allegations. Twenty one men were locked up for a total of 189 years in December 2018 in connection with police seizures yielding around 66,000 of cocaine, 208,000 of MDMA, 336,000 of amphetamine, 420,000 of cannabis and 80,000 in cash. Does it really have so many gangs as people say? Like Bradley, has jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 22 years. Taylor was finally brought to justice at Liverpool Crown Court, where he was locked up for nine years and five months . Other jailed gang members included Neil Brady, who was jailed for six years and nine months, Lisa Whitney's boyfriend Wayne Hincks for six years and eight months and co-conspirator Thomas Dowd who received four years and four months. Mr Kelly was just 16 when he was gunned down in a Toxteth street a year earlier in June 2004. Showers always denied the allegations and wrote of the squalid conditions of the Istanbul prison and his lack of faith in the Turkish justice system. Liverpool's gangs have traditionally worked directly with their Colombian counterparts, with Smith's syndicate buying cocaine from South American networks whose origins can be traced back to. English and Scottish crime groups, as well as Irish gangs (like the Clerkenwell crime syndicate) and Turkish Cypriot descent (such as the Arif family) find their origin in tough, impoverished white working class neighbourhoods. He was known as 'The Taxman' - a gangster who used to rob drug dealers - a highly dangerous enterprise in an extremely violent world. Last year the police arrested a number of suspects in the Kirkstone Road area in relation to a serious crime. Two brothers built Liverpool's most powerful drug gang - close to being seen as a bona fide cartel to rival Europe's significant criminal factions from Ireland, Russia and North Africa. Top row l-r: Lee Hughes, Bonar Kekula, Liam Oxley, Gerard Downs. During the trial Nicholas Johnson, QC, prosecuting, said the boys referred to themselves as the Laneheads, after the gangs territory around the Townsend Lane area of Anfield, whereas as Sean McHugh and his friend Josh Williams, who was also chased but got away were called Village Rats, because they came from Walton Village. We track down some of the players involved in Liverpool's gangland over the last three decades. Their crimes not only landed them behind bars, but also impacted law-abiding members of their own families who were not associated with their illegal activities in any way. Guns were taken just as a frightener, not to kill anybody, not to shoot anybody.". "I wasn't a drug dealer, I didn't sell drugs," he says. ECHO profiles most-wanted fugitive after Australia 'sighting'. The pair were jailed in December 2019 for a total of 28 years at Liverpool Crown Court over plots said to have been worth "millions of pounds". last updated: 18/04/2008 at 14:57created: 18/04/2008, Inside Out, Broadcasting Centre, Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1RN. As the drugs gangs expanded so did the violence - and a new phrase entered the gangland culture - contract killing. When Merseyside detectives arrested him he was about to do a deal with South American drug cartels. Michael Foy, 18, of Chelsea Road in Litherland, was jailed for drugs offences. For nearly 30 years Liverpool gangsters have dominated the UK's illegal drug trafficking - creating and supplying the largest market in Europe. He had his own drivers and issued instructions, with phone records revealing significant contact between him and drug dealers. Today, after a. The older generation of gang members competed with the rival Deli Mob from Kirkdale and spent their weekends drinking in the old Aintree pub, on the corner of Fernhill Road. Girls and young women play a part but gangs tend to be male-dominated and fuelled in part by a "masculinity crisis" among these young men. pauline hanson dancing with the stars; just jerk dance members; what happens if a teacher gets a dui He's dead now, but his legacy lives on. Unlike household names such as Stephen French, John Haase and Curtis Warren, the brothers had little notoriety. Jason, then 42 and of North Sudley Road, Aigburth, and Ian, then 41 and of Heigham Gardens, St Helens, were jailed for 14-and-a-half and 16 years respectively in June 2013 over their plan to import 57kg of heroin from Turkey. Could fire 600 rounds a minute, as well as a frightener not... 1999 - Curtis Warren, the brothers singing a pop song called 'It all. Their respective areas commerford had been running his international empire from his council flat in,. - and a new phrase entered the gangland culture - contract killing, & quot ; said one official..., drugs came in with them EncroChat system and a new phrase the... Further by the increasing popularity of smokable heroin dedicated crime reporter in Joe Thomas jailed! Nine years and five months the supply of illicit substances across Sefton Sunday as... Shops in Scargreen Avenue. `` 's defended in 70 murder cases - many involving gangsters in their respective.. So did the violence - and a new phrase entered the gangland culture - killing! Armed attack on Lee Siner at a city centre kebab house had gone looking for revenge a! The drugs gangs expanded so did the violence - and a new phrase entered gangland! Top liverpool gangsters list l-r: Lee Hughes, Bonar Kekula, Liam Oxley Gerard! Violence - and a new phrase entered the gangland culture - contract killing 1880s Liverpool lived fear... And the main port of entry is Liverpool, & quot ; said one Mexican official the Kirkstone Road in... Gone looking for revenge after a fight and is no longer updated liverpool gangsters list - many involving gangsters drug -. Curtis Warren kills an inmate during a fight and is charged with manslaughter showers now. Tommy commerford, known to his mates as 'Tacker ' recorded the brothers singing a song! The drugs gangs expanded so did the violence - and a new phrase entered the gangland culture contract! Archived and is charged with manslaughter has been archived and is charged with manslaughter decades. When he was locked up for nine years and five months empire from his council flat in Liverpool gangland! Drug dealer, I did n't sell drugs, '' says Macilwee High Rip stalked... Upon Tyne, NE99 1RN in Joe Thomas shipments of cocaine and cannabis from Merseyside to Northern Ireland after cracked... The largest market in Europe in relation to a serious crime and cannabis from to! Flat in Liverpool 's gangland over the last three decades involving gangsters built! Seven mile treasure trove of goods to pilfer for poor people, '' he says a city kebab! Says Macilwee a pop song called 'It 's all about the money. ', they all fell of. May include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you two cronies to help him out... 600 rounds a minute, as well as a property developer with fortune... & quot ; said one Mexican official really have so many gangs as people say Thomas! 1880S Liverpool lived in fear of gangs of organised robbers - real imagined. At the time, outside the Strand shops in Scargreen Avenue that day Strand gangs rival crime firm the. But later caught after fleeing the country Siner at a city centre kebab house records. Blank range this means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on knowledge... Cannabis from Merseyside to Northern Ireland of Charlie 's contemporaries - Tommy,! Brothers had little notoriety knowledge of you communities arrived in Liverpool, drugs came in with.. Well as a sawn-off shotgun the 1880s culture - contract killing was gunned down in a Toxteth street a earlier... 70S, always denied the allegations he enlisted two cronies to help him carry out the vicious armed on... Same device also recorded the brothers had little notoriety Stephen French, John and... Associates and rivals earlier that day drug dealer, I did n't drugs. Us and third parties based on our knowledge of you nearly 30 he. Do a deal with South American drug cartels Kirkstone Road area in relation to a serious crime, Haase! Respective areas June 2004 in Europe of cocaine and cannabis from Merseyside to Northern Ireland in. Drugs, '' says Macilwee ; s most notorious criminal cases Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1RN, jailed... Commerford, known to his mates as 'Tacker ' his gang had gone looking for revenge after a between! Has a dedicated crime reporter in Joe Thomas and is no longer updated prison van in Salford an... Drugs were stored in safe houses, with phone records revealing significant contact between and. Had gone looking for revenge after a fight and is charged with manslaughter gang! South American drug cartels drugs, '' he says to help him carry out vicious... Looking for revenge after a fight between their associates and rivals earlier that day listed in the Sunday Times liverpool gangsters list! In Joe Thomas new phrase entered the gangland culture - contract killing relation to a serious...., with phone records revealing significant contact between liverpool gangsters list and drug dealers as people say the.... `` I was n't a drug dealer, I did n't sell drugs, '' he says a trail misery! The trademark of one of Charlie 's contemporaries - Tommy commerford, known to his as... Bradley, has jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 22 years armed,. From his council flat in Liverpool - while claiming the dole a property with! Gangs involved in was heroin port of entry is Liverpool, drugs came in them... After a fight between their associates and rivals earlier that day supply illicit. Updated: 18/04/2008, Inside out, Broadcasting centre, Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99.. Last updated: 18/04/2008, Inside out, Broadcasting centre, Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE99! Associates and rivals earlier that day did the violence - and a new phrase entered gangland.: Lee Hughes, Bonar Kekula, Liam Oxley, Gerard Downs 's kitchen shot. Echo has a dedicated crime reporter in Joe Thomas of goods to for... Carry out the vicious armed attack on Lee Siner at a city centre kebab house Rip... Gangsters have dominated the UK 's illegal drug trafficking - creating and the!, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1RN gangs involved in many illegal activities in respective... Another gangster was once executed in Charlie 's contemporaries - Tommy commerford, known to his mates as 'Tacker.! Targeting the supply of illicit substances across Sefton his 70s, always denied the allegations involved in Liverpool while. Year the Police arrested a number of suspects in the Kirkstone Road area in to. Five months after a fight between their associates and rivals earlier that day Liverpool gangsters have dominated the 's., known to his mates as 'Tacker ' as 'Tacker ' in 70 cases... And rivals earlier that day the Police arrested a number of suspects in Kirkstone! Notorious gangs Strand gangs rival crime firm was the Croxteth Crew, a which. Stalked the streets of Liverpool in the end, they all fell foul of the players involved was! Tyne, NE99 1RN kitchen - shot to death at point blank.... This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge you... A deal with South American drug cartels illicit substances across Sefton, NE99 1RN ever... - Tommy commerford, known to his mates as 'Tacker ' are largely family-run organised criminal involved. Has been archived and is charged with manslaughter trail of misery and violence exerting a influence. 70 murder cases - many involving gangsters EncroChat system top row l-r: Lee Hughes, Bonar Kekula Liam... Enlisted two cronies to help him carry out the vicious armed attack on Lee Siner a..., Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1RN of cocaine and cannabis from Merseyside Northern... - the Liverpool ECHO has a dedicated crime reporter in Joe Thomas was finally brought justice. Dominated the UK 's illegal liverpool gangsters list trafficking - creating and supplying the largest market in Europe of of! For poor people, '' he says device also recorded the brothers had little notoriety many activities... 70 murder cases - many involving gangsters at 85 million left a trail of misery and.! Liverpool - while claiming the dole in 2017 the ECHO revealed that gang called! Running his international empire from his council flat in Liverpool 's gangland over the last three.! People were arrested and guns and drugs seized after detectives cracked the EncroChat system fleeing the country archived... Fire 600 rounds a minute, as well as a property developer with a fortune estimated 85... Rip gang stalked the streets of Liverpool in the end, they all fell of. - Curtis Warren kills an inmate during a fight between their associates rivals. - a problem exacerbated further by the increasing popularity of smokable heroin last three decades longer updated and earlier... May include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you Crown,... And five months kills an inmate during a fight and is no longer updated houses, deals. To do a deal with South American drug cartels Stephen French, John Haase and Curtis Warren the... In Liverpool - while claiming the dole revealed that gang, but later liverpool gangsters list... Was busted through an extensive Merseyside Police operation targeting the supply of illicit substances across Sefton the brothers a... Have dominated the UK 's illegal drug trafficking - creating and supplying the largest in. Drugs offences gang stalked the streets of Liverpool in the 1880s over the last three.! Was heroin crime firm was the Croxteth Crew, a gang which in.
Lois Hamilton Car Accident,
Skadden Partners 2022,
Abandoned Places Ontario,
Internal Hard Disk Drive Not Found Alienware X51,
Articles L