rita thompson glasgow

His bullet-ridden body was rushed to Glasgow Royal Infirmary but he died a few hours later. In a bravura performance from the witness box, he denied he was Glasgows Godfather and criticised the police. In 1988, Thompson had another lucky escape when he was shot in the groin in a demolition yard he owned in the East End of Glasgow. One theory is that McPhee had tried to muscle in on the drug trade controlled by former Irish terrorists. It's not known what Thompson's views were when Ferris was cleared of murdering his son. So the person in charge would have to have been something very special, and Arthur was certainly that.. Whoever did that was taking a big chance as Hanlon's Ford Orion was well known to the police and was regularly stopped. He died in his father's arms. The 37-year-old was found seriously injured on his doorstep on Tuesday. The spot where Fat Boy died is just a few yards from where Billy Thompson was stabbed 10 months ago during the unsuccessful first attempt on his life and a short distance from the site of the most recent attack. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. The Thompson Gang was finished at this point, and Arthur died in his bed in 1993. We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. Although he was aging, Old Arthur was still seen as a threat, so his enemies wanted to remove him from the picture permanently. During his trips to London, hed become friends with one of the ring leaders, Buster Edwards, who would later attend the funeral of Arthurs murdered son, Arthur Jnr in 1991, When fellow gang member Ronnie Biggs was asked shortly before his death in 2013 if Arthur was involved in the robbery, Biggs replied cryptically: I might be dying but Im not a grass.. He was seen as the rising star of the Glasgow underworld and a man who could take over from Arthur Snr. In 1985, he was arrested and charged with supplying heroin in what was probably a set-up; an 11-year prison sentence was the result. The violence was on a much, much higher level. Copyright 2023 Bridgeman Art Library Limited. Rita's husband, William Gunn, the biker, isn't so lucky, getting five years in jail for threatening. Thompson survived - just - and two men have since appeared in court in connection with the attack, which police are treating as attempted murder. By the 1980s, the Thompson family had entered the drug trade, led by Thompson's son Arthur Jr.[5] It was rumoured that, by the 1990s, Thompson was earning some 100,000 a week as a loan shark (usurer). Kenyas security forces had to act and stormed into the Mathare region. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The documents cover the period from 1967 to 1969, when Thompson was in his late 30s and paint a picture of the criminal kingpin as a devious man used to getting his own way. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. He was caught and, as criminals did at the time, called for the legendary lawyer Joe Beltrami, who hired advocate Nicky Fairbairn to defend him. In 1969 she was jailed for three years for stabbing a female member of the rival Welsh family in her home and even wrote letters to the Parole Board on Thompsons behalf while inside. The goal was to protect Kikuyu farmers in their land disputes with the Maasai and local government forces dominated by the Kalenjin tribe. Both bodies are thought to have been stored at business premises not far from the Cottage Bar overnight, then driven to Darleith Street around mid-morning. One retired publican said: To stop trouble all the landlord or bar manager in one of those pubs needed to say was, This is Arthur Thompsons place.. [14], Chasing Killers Joe Jackson ISBN978-1-84596-406-1. Thompson later gave a personal undertaking to a senior police officer that he would not harm the two officers. In later life he even adopted some of the late US mobster's sartorial taste in pinstripes. While London had the Krays and the Richardsons to contend with in the 1960s, Glasgow had its own dominant group of street thugs in the form of The Thompson Gang. [5] In 1969, Thompson's wife Rita forced her way into the Welsh home and stabbed Patrick Welsh's widow in the chest; she was jailed for three years. The car was deliberately placed on the funeral route. Rita Thompson, 72, who had throat cancer, died on Tuesday. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . Friendly with the likes of 'Mad' Frankie Fraser and Billy Hill, he was a leading underworld figure north of the border. The acclaimed stylist, from Castlemilk, Glasgow, won multiple awards. [8] Prison chiefs were also under no illusions about the kind of man they were dealing with. Initially, the group was in favor of female circumcision and later adopted rituals such as wearing dreadlocks and swearing oaths like the Mau Mau rebels who fought against Britain in the 1960s. His former business associate, Frankie Fraser, said Mrs Thompson was a "lovely lady". contact the editor here. The recent stabbing of a gangland godfather's son has reignited the battle for control of a 300m drugs market. Thompson received a not proven verdict, despite the eyewitness accounts of Joe and his brother. But since the death of his father and brother that reputation is no more. A sniper waited for him after he had been chased through Glasgow by another hitman. Single Use in context. Rita Ora's Best Looks. Registered in England and Wales as company number 01056394. All rights reserved. Three shots at close range from a .22 pistol hit young Arthur. However, despite the murder of his son, the Godfather wasn't quite finished yet. On the day of Fatboys funeral, the bodies of two of Ferris associates were found in a car. It was common for Arthur to crucify his victims by nailing their hands and feet to furniture. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. On the eve of it the north court of the High Court in Glasgow is set on fire by Norval's mob in attempt to burn all the files on the case they believe are held in the vaults. contact the editor here. As a result the takeover never took place. As a result, they were given a police guard and their families moved to safety in another part of the city. Rita M. Glasgow, 89, of Galena, died Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at Galena Stauss Senior Care Community, Galena surrounded by her family. However, Ferris was found not guilty of all charges in June that year after the longest-running murder trial in Scottish legal history. Teacher strikes suspended as union backs new Scottish Government pay offer. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to He drove his car directly at their van and forced it off the road. The iconic firm was formed back in 1965. 17-19 Garway Road *** Local Caption *** Scottish gangs. HE was Glasgows equivalent of Don Corleone, the fictional New York crime godfather immortalised in his portrayal by Marlon Brando. They then returned home for a nightcap. In 1966 he had been involved in a high-value theft of clothes from a shop in Glasgow and was sentenced to four years in prison. Fraser, now dead, once recalled: Down south, we viewed Glasgow as the Wild West. Join Facebook to connect with Rita Thompson and others you may know. At one time, he had at least 20 pubs in Glasgow paying him 4000 each week. Rita Thompson, who had throat cancer, died in 2006 at the age of 72. He was also cleared of attempting to murder Arthur Thompson Snr by repeatedly driving a car at him and threatening to murder another man William Gillen by shooting him in the leg. Rita lives in Glasgow, KY in a single family house with Elisa. Even when his own son was murdered outside his front door, he ordered his family not to give them statements or tell what they had seen. - but was later drafted for National Service, which he was determined to avoid, as he had much of school. "He will inevitably return to his lucrative club management and his position as a leader of the Glasgow criminal fraternity. "He didnt care if he had money in his pocket. The Mungiki sect emerged from Kenyas biggest ethnic group; known as the Kikuyu. Supports are provided on site 24/7 including case workers from JHS and medical services provided by Ottawa Inner City Health (OICH) - a non-profit organization that provides health care to homeless and street involved people. Out of the darkness stepped a mystery man who opened fire before escaping in a stolen car with two other men. All rights reserved. He recognised them immediately as they and Ferris were regulars. This 936 square foot home is the last known address for Rita. [8] He had been given two-and-a-half years, reduced on appeal to 18 months. "His depravity is veneered with conformity and deadly quietness, and he is difficult to undermine when he is on the alert. With Fatboy in prison, Old Arthur had to return before his rivals picked his empire apart. Beatings and slashings were routinely inflicted on anyone who failed to pay up. Glasgow shop sign blunder warns customers against 'consummation of food and drink'. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. And in a summation which might bring a tear to the glassiest eye she said, Dad wasnt motivated by money. It was also rumoured that Thompson was involved in the 1963 Great Train robbery when 2.6 million (equivalent to around 30m now) was stolen from the Glasgow to London mail train. As we release the first episode of our Glasgow Crime Stories podcast, read the extended version of telling the story of infamous crime godfather Arthur Thompson and the murder of his son. The young Detective Constable got out his own car and ran to a nearby petrol station to phone the emergency services, where he also found Thompson who then sped off. Legend has it that the crime boss later viewed the bodies and shot both men in the chest with another gun. Thompson signed into a private clinic in the West End of Glasgow and told police the injury was caused by a broken drill bit. Thirty years later no one has yet been charged with the murders or stood trial. It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse. Copyright 2006 Gale, Cengage Learning. [9] He was acquitted of all charges. Comments have been closed on this article. Thompson was supported loyally in his criminal enterprises by his wife the diminutive Rita who bore him four children. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Bankrobber, that was the song, and that was old Wattie's business. A funeral mass will be held at 11 AM, on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at St. Michaels Catholic Church, Galena where friends may gather after 10:30 AM until the time of mass. If located in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Eire, kindly contact Mirrorpix directly at desk@mirrorpix.com. At eight he was nicking potatoes from shops and coal briquettes (blocks of compacted coal dust for younger readers) from coal lorries, which he then sold on. mg.co.za. In 1966 he escaped death when a bomb exploded in his MG sports car, but his mother-in-law, in the passenger seat, was killed. Mirrorpix / GIW Photos. They can be seen laughing and seemingly kissing each other. Although Thompson wasnt a tall man, he was powerfully built with a chilling stare that could terrify both friend and foe alike. London, W2 4PH There was understandable media speculation that Ferris now had a price on his head. A funeral mass will be held at 11 AM, on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at St. Michaels Catholic Church, Galena where friends may gather after 10:30 AM until the time of mass. A leading prosecution witness, in prison at the time, is provided with a constant police escort and kept in solitary confinement. Previously, Rita was a Perioperative Nursing Development Professional & Specialist at Huntington Hospital and also held positions at St. Mary's Medical Center, St. Mary's Medical Center, Desert Cities Dialysis