Tom Driessen is Director of the Dutch National Crime Squad and says it's not an easy task: "The profile of those criminals from Liverpool is that they learned not only to do illegal activities but they learned to survive, and violence is part of their life from their youth "We can't name names. Then in 1980 things changed forever. 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It was a fast, frivolous time and the money was spent fast and frivolously.". James Shiels and his brother Kyle ran the Fernhill - Kyle was the gangs number one, and saw himself as untouchable. Unlike household names such as Stephen French, John Haase and Curtis Warren, the brothers had little notoriety. Their families are dysfunctional. The brothers had grown up on the Netherton Park estate, which they turned over time into a stronghold. You are in: Inside Out > North West > Gangster town. Join more than 56,000 other people who are members of our Liverpool court cases and crime stories Facebook group and you'll get access to all the latest stories from court reporter Neil Docking. We met Virginia - a prostitute, crack addict and mother to four children she rarely sees. 6 August 2021 - 1:49, by , in Uncategorized, Comments off. At the peak of the gangs notoriety in the 2000s, they were reported to have members as young as 12 and called themselves 'Nogzy soldiers'. The cocaine is in containers and the main port of entry is Liverpool," said one Mexican official. Battle over gangster Stephen Clarke's crime fortune lifts lid on flow of dirty money in Liverpool, Barmaid who had ear bitten off abused after attacker is jailed, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon in custody as baby remains found, Officers found the remains of a baby on Wednesday afternoon, BBC Weather forecasts seven days of snow and sleet for Liverpool, This upcoming bout of snow could be a result of major sudden stratospheric warming, Full list of DWP cost of living payments available in March 2023, Here is everything you need to know about some of the financial help you could get in March, Barmaid 'permanently disfigured' after woman bit her ear off in pub, Christine McGuinness supported as she 'finally' shares new career move, The former Miss Liverpool has teased her many fans about her next move in a number of Instagram posts, 19 lost Merseyside schools that have been reduced to rubble, Child taken to hospital after crash with car, Police are appealing for information following the incident, Costs for controversial sea wall rise to over 15m, The scheme will save lives according to Wirral Council but has been controversial with people living close by, Tesco shoppers adore 'super flattering' F&F Clothing cream dress worn by Frankie Bridge on Instagram, One shopper said: Its such a gorgeous dress, Liverpool vs Wolves LIVE - Keita absence explained, TV channel, kick-off time and commentary stream, Live team news, line-ups, TV channel, commentary stream, latest score and goals from Anfield as Liverpool face Wolves in the Premier League, Everton team news for Arsenal confirmed as surprise defensive change made, Michael Keane is the sole change for Everton's Premier League clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Darwin Nunez and Ibrahima Konate start as Liverpool make SIX changes for Wolves, Liverpool starting line-up and full team news as Ibrahima Konate and Darwin Nunez return to the side against Wolves, Faces of legendary lollipop men and women loved on Merseyside, These images have been tucked away in the archives for years, New faces on the streets as Liverpool rough sleeper numbers hit record high, Charity says situation "unravelling" as more are pushed into crisis, Liverpool City Council names new chief executive, Andrew Lewis will join the council from Cheshire West and Chester, Neighbours evacuated as fire breaks out in Birkenhead laundrette, Four firefighters entered the smoking building and evacuated the flats above, 'Lovely' teacher died after gastric band surgery in Turkey, Lois Brown was described as a "lovely woman with the biggest heart", Liverpool agree deal to sign Kornel Misciur from Hull City, Kornel Misciur has joined Liverpool as Reds seal deal for young Hull City goalkeeper, Liverpool transfer and data chief sheds light on club situation ahead of summer exit, Dr Ian Graham was speaking on how Liverpool use data when appearing at the FT's Business of Football Summit, Councillor hits out at Labour as he's blocked from standing after parking probe, Cllr Barry Kushner says he is not leaving through choice after he was blocked from standing following a Liverpool ECHO parking fines investigation. Foy was busted through an extensive Merseyside Police operation targeting the supply of illicit substances across Sefton. He's the former head of Merseyside Serious Crime Squad but back in the mid 60's he was a young detective and remembers one of Commerford's audacious jobs. In 2016, Merseyside Police officers broke down doors at 13 properties in Kirkdale, Walton, Fazakerley and Aintree as part of an investigation into the gang. He's credited by police with being Liverpool's first drugs baron. He was recently released from his latest jail stint after being found not guilty of rape when prosecutors dropped the charges he had branded malicious. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Ten years ago Shaun Smith was an enforcer for one of the biggest crime families in Liverpool and embroiled in a war against a rival drug gang. But when feared boss Liam Johnson was jailed for drug offences, Kyle became the gangs leader. On August 22, the day 11-year-old Rhys was shot and killed, Croxteth Crew gang member Sean Mercer was told three Nogga Dogs had been spotted on their territory. He said that some of the gang had knives on them. And if you actually have bullets, it's an extra year for every bullet.". One of the city's other prominent gangsters, 'Juicebomb' John Burton, tells the documentary . In 2010, 17-year-old Scottie Road Crew member James Moore was jailed for stabbing innocent army cadet Joseph Lappin, 16, to death outside a youth club in a horrific 2008 attack. 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. The docks, which handled 40 per cent of the world's trade, provided rich pickings. Today Stephen says he's left all that behind - and is now a legitimate businessman and anti gun campaigner who's recalled his life in a book. The 'Strand Gang', also known as the 'Nogga Dogs', hailed from the Norris Green area of Liverpool. Despite the violence, he says that old school villains had a code of honour to stick to. In 2014, five teenage gang members were found guilty of the murder of Sean "Shorty" McHugh in an Anfield laundrette. Once one of Liverpools most wanted, Bradley was captured in Amsterdam after an audacious escape from a prison van bound for Liverpool Crown Court. Ian also admitted an 800k plot to flood Merseyside with 168,000 ecstasy tablets. It's a terrifying tale of murder, torture, money, and fear. last updated: 18/04/2008 at 14:57created: 18/04/2008, Inside Out, Broadcasting Centre, Barrack Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1RN. Cocky remains locked up in Jersey, where he was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in jail over a 1m cannabis plot. However, detectives believe they recovered only a fraction of the drugs trafficked and some 200,000 ecstasy tablets alone were manufactured, many of them from a machine hidden in the cellar of a property in Clifton Road, Birkenhead. You can get the latest crime reports in your area here: Glenholmes was branded a ruthless, brutal and dangerous man by Judge Anil Murray, who sentenced him to 15 years in jail with a further 36 months on licence. Also thought to be in Belmarsh, he actually turned on his former partner in crime and slashed him in a prison attack . Cousins Andrew Hewitt, 15 and Corey Hewitt, 14 but who was 13 at the time, and Joseph McGill, 14, also 13 at the time, were found guilty of murder by majority verdicts of ten to two. They ran a 24-hour business flooding the streets of Liverpool with heroin and crack cocaine, which saw 13 members of the Whitney drug gang jailed. In July 2017 Curtis Warren lost in a bid to contest his conviction. He was jailed indefinitely, but with a minimum four year tariff. He knew that we were aware what his criminal activity was and he used to use us as a game really. 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. Roberts looked after the guns, while the rest of the lieutenants carried out thousands of drug deals. Liverpool underworld figure and drug trafficker. both believed to have been released from jail, where he was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in jail, Revealed: Curtis Warren and the major league crooks hit with empire-crippling crime orders, Stephen French writes letter to The ECHO after being acquitted of rape, has evaded capture for more than a decade, Who is Kevin Parle? if you want to ask us any more questions about what the Liverpool Echo does, please email neil.macdonald01@reachplc.com. Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ariel Castro are just a few of the criminals who've called Ohio home. Family member Lisa Whitney and gang associate Gary Edwards were each given four years while co-conspirator Michael Waters was sentences to five years and four months. His name is Charlie Seiga and today he's nearly 70 and says he's a reformed character. Back in June, we took a look at some of the most notorious gang names from across Merseyside and how they came to be. Their mum Christine, who admitted laundering 180,000 drug cash found hidden beneath floorboards in her Mossley Hill home, was jailed for two years. Guns were taken just as a frightener, not to kill anybody, not to shoot anybody.". Ex-martial arts champion Stephen French, whose biography, The Devil, chronicles his past activities in Liverpool, has convictions going back to 1972. Stephen Gee pretended to be a Liverpool City Council officer to con a 77-year-old widower after he caught him kerb-crawling. Liverpool academic and author of "The Gangs of Liverpool", Mick Macilwee, has been studying the gangs who terrorised the streets of the Victorian city. He was an old school armed robber - a safe blower and a wages snatcher. Yes, that's true. Cultivated cannabis was found together with hydraulic presses and other equipment for the production of Class A drugs. In deciding which crimes to write about, we consider a range of issues including the severity of the crime, the threat to public safety and the wider context in which it happened. Cortesi Brothers (1910s - 1922) Originally from Italy, brothers Augustus 'Gus', Enrico 'Frenchie', Paolo 'Paul' and George Cortesi were involved in protection racketeering of gamblers and bookmakers in the West End of London. MOST FEARED GANGSTERS IN LIVERPOOL TOP 5- STEPHEN FRENCH, DARREN GEE, SAM WALKER, CURTIS WARREN 46,075 views Oct 15, 2020 GANGSTER NEWS 2.83K subscribers 86 Dislike Share MOST FEARED. These are some of the city's most prolific crime families, many of whom lived lavish lifestyles off the back of their ill gotten gains. That sentence, handed to him 2010, was to be served alongside a seven-and-a-half year drugs sentence. Another gangster was once executed in Charlie's kitchen - shot to death at point blank range. Three more members of a Merseyside drugs gang with an unusual name were jailed today over a 300,000 heroin and cocaine enterprise. One of the last remaining members of the Whitney drugs gang was extradited from Spain in 2011. 1990s - 2003. Something went wrong, please try again later. The 13 gang members who were ultimately jailed for the Whitney drugs ring consisted of family members, their partners and extended family as well as a string of "associates" and big players who werent related to them. The name 'Wavo' is short for Wavertree, while '420' is drug culture slang which refers to cannabis related celebrations that take place on April 20. So the net to snare them began by taking out the levels below, stripping each rung before eventually reaching the top. July 2007 - Arrested in Jersey for conspiring to import 1 million of cannabis. While he is still thought to be in jail, those terms mean he could soon be eligible for a parole hearing to argue for his release. Darren Gee was handed 18 years behind bars in 2006 for planning the revenge shooting murder of dad-of-five David Regan. Liverpool gangster Darren Gee has turned on mob boss Daniel Kinahan and called him out on social media - describing him as an 'evil piece of poison.' Gee, who was jailed for 18 years for his. The underworld has become the overworld. 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. Notorious Toxteth drugs barons Michael and Delroy Showers are both believed to have been released from jail . The then 36-year-old told Liverpool Crown Court he went off the rails after his brother Billy Gee, 38, was tragically found hanged in 2016. 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The Laneheads were a gang of teenage yobs who wreaked havoc in and around Anfield's Townsend Lane - a location which also provided their name. He was jailed for 13 and a half years, with an extended two years on licence. After demanding 50,000 - which Higgins said he did not have - the 24-year-old launched a brutal assault that left his victim scarred. Ordinary families had to look the other way as local gangsters tried to turn a residential estate into an enclave exempt from the rule of law. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. It will feature reports from Liverpool Crown Court and crime cases connected to Merseyside. You can also sign up to our court newsletter here and get a twice weekly roundup of court cases sent your email inbox for free. Lucy Hargreaves, 22, was under a duvet on the sofa in her front room in Lambourne Road when three men burst in August 2005, fired a shotgun at her and then torched the house. The 51st State, Brookside) to those where only a small number of scenes were set or shot in Liverpool (e.g. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Ryan Lloyd, 19, Thomas Forshaw, 18 and Sean Farrell, who was just 16-year-old, were convicted of Smith's murder and jailed. By the mid 80's, Liverpool's drugs squad was trying to clean up what had become known as 'Smack City'. Liverpool gangster James "Pancake" Taylor masterminded an underworld revenge attack on an amateur boxer who knocked him out in a prison brawl. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Manchester Crown Court heard that the 60%-pure heroin would have cost around 300,000 euros to buy wholesale from Turkey. Showers, now in his 70s, always denied the allegations. Also known as the Crocky Crew or the Croxteth Young Guns. Some of our region's most notorious criminal cases have involved families who flooded the streets with drugs and ruled their neighbourhoods through violence and intimidation. One of the most famous 1960's criminals was a boy who grew up in Huyton - and became a man with a nickname - 'Killer'. These days if police catch you with a gun it's an automatic five years anyway just for the gun. ", Stephen recalls that he was one of the most scary guys that you could ever wish to meet, "They whispered my name, people wouldn't look me directly in the face such was my reputation, such was my ferocity". Detectives were astounded when they listened back to the tape of Jason and Ian rowing over who was the more adept criminal. But the state's history also includes notorious figures such as bank robber . Here are 8 of England's most notorious gangs. Liverpool gangsters, including the Bird of Prey and an accomplice, James Taylor, known as "Pancake", are "certainly talking" to the Sinaloa, along with Los Zetas, classified by . With the drugs has come guns for protection - and enforcement. ECHO profiles most-wanted fugitive after Australia 'sighting'. Although not strictly part of a named gang, Curtis Warren is one of Liverpool's most notorious drug barons. Downes, of no fixed address, orchestrated the campaign of violence from a prison cell, from which he was able to make more than 18,000 mobile phone calls. None of his intended targets were hit, but Rhys was killed while returning home from football practice. Speaking at the conclusion of the Whitney gang sentencing, Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Doherty from Merseyside Police said: This family is so dangerous that guns and drugs are part of their daily business.. "This was like a seven mile treasure trove of goods to pilfer for poor people," says Macilwee. 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. Army corporal turned drugs baron Peter Clarke worked with security firm boss Stephen Clarke to orchestrate shipments of cocaine and cannabis from Merseyside to Northern Ireland. 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 . Richardson Gang. "And if we as elders of the villages and communities don't have something to keep their interests and channel their energies, it doesn't bear thinking about. Britain's gang busters - SOCA, the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, still believe the immense scale of drug trafficking is posing the biggest single threat to the UK. In October 2019, Jake Burrows was jailed for 25 years and six months, while Callum Burrows was jailed for 20 years. 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. Three more members of a Merseyside drugs gang with an unusual name were jailed today over a 300,000 heroin and cocaine enterprise. 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. Older brother Michael - known for driving a white Rolls Royce through the streets of Toxteth - spent years locked up in a Turkish jail over his alleged role in an international smuggling plot. Wavo 420 was a cannabis supply network that operated on the streets around Wavertree. From feared personalities that have returned to court, to those recently released, here the ECHO looks at where some of the regions highest profile crooks are now thought to be. Moore and his gang had gone looking for revenge after a fight between their associates and rivals earlier that day. Liverpool gangsters, including the Bird of Prey and an accomplice, James Taylor, known as "Pancake", are "certainly talking" to the Sinaloa, along with Los Zetas, classified by the US Drug Enforcement Administration as Mexico's most dangerous trafficking organisation. "I think the days of the old skilled blagger, or the 'Peterman', the man who would blow up a safe or someone who would break into a bonded warehouse or counterfeit a pass in order to get away with the ill gotten goods are long gone. 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. During a trial over the 2009 murder of Tony Bromley, Liverpool Crown Court heard the men were 'kingpins' in the area, who led a violent gang that controlled the streets of Grizedale. In 2013, seven Croxteth Crew members were jailed for a total of 113 years for carrying out a terror campaign of punishment shootings and fire bombings. This notorious family gang came from the Anfield area - but their ill-gotten gains bought them plush pads in some of the city's most sought-after post codes. Last year the police arrested a number of suspects in the Kirkstone Road area in relation to a serious crime. It is as if they belong to some sort of outlaw tribe which has rejected all of societys moral standards and conventions. In January 1884, the body of a Spanish sailor was found in the city, brutally beaten and stabbed in a way that was terrifyingly reminiscent of the murders carried out by a gang that had been operating in the area a decade earlier. But the ECHO understands the pair are now out of prison following stints in foreign jails. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Sept. 28, 2016. Kevin Roberts, Robert Lee, Connor McKevitt, Terrence Nixon and Stephen Fletcher were the Shiels trusted lieutenants. The Huyton gangster, thought to be in high security prison Belmarsh, is currently serving a life sentence after orchestrating a wave of shootings and grenade attacks across Merseyside. The drugs would have made around 7m when sold on the streets of Liverpool. He then fled the UK days after the bloodshed at Kimos restaurant, in October, 2010, and remained at large until Dutch armed police swooped on him last month in Amsterdam. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. liverpool gangsters list liverpool gangsters list. 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. On one occasion, a young mum in the family even stooped so low as to stash cocaine in her baby's nappy bag to hide the drugs from cops. When Merseyside detectives arrested him he was about to do a deal with South American drug cartels. The gang war between the two feuding sides hit national headlines in 2007 following the senseless murder of innocent schoolboy Rhys Jones, who was unintentionally caught in the crossfire. We will not though, ignore crime as it impacts on many lives. The teen gunman rode to the car park of the Fir Tree pub in Croxteth Park, armed with a WW1 Smith and Wesson revolver and opened fire. Inside Out charts the history of gangland violence on Merseyside in a special investigation. But others are based on a family name, like the Whitney gang who flooded the streets of Liverpool with drugs. They used unlicensed scrambler bikes to get quickly to and from their targets and avoid police patrols, while earning money dealing around their turf on Stonedale Crescent and Mossway shops.