[5] Their bodies had been dumped on the route of Fatboy's funeral procession, so that his hearse passed their dead bodies. He is known to have blown up a pub and social club after one owner refused to comply. Rita's husband, William Gunn, the biker, isn't so lucky, getting five years in jail for threatening to kill one of the leading witnesses. His daughter Rita, who had married one of the Blue Angels bikers (like Hell's Angels, only dirtier! Thompson signed into a private clinic in the West End of Glasgow and told police the injury was caused by a broken drill bit. Counts may not reflect the number of records that will appear in search results. He then walked the few yards from one court to another to give evidence in the Welshes murder trial. Ferris, then 28, was found not guilty in June 1992 at the High Court in Glasgow after the longest-running murder trial in Scottish legal history. He has since been jailed for involvement in a firearms conspiracy. Norval went down for 14 years. In 1970 the then governor of Craiginches prison in Aberdeen describe Thompson as a thug of the worst kind who along with another inmate was running warring factions inside and outside of prison. Glasgow shop owner 'in tears' after store weeks away from opening hit by devastating blaze. A 22-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Neil Canney in Greenock. 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). So if you think you have a rare coin, here is what you need to know before selling. Friends of Thompson say he was never the same after young Arthurs death. View Anniversary. It was just a way for the terrified owner to pay protection to Thompson. Father Neil McGarrity has been placed on the sex offenders register after being found guilty of four sexual assaults and one charge of engaging in sexual activity. Police have run up against a wall of silence, but believe the murder is linked to drugs. The young cop who took on the Godfather rose through the ranks to become head of the Strathclyde Police Serious Crime Squad and retired at the rank of Detective Superintendent in 1992. Rita Thompson, 72, who had throat cancer, died on Tuesday. Glasgow Live. To survive, they formed their own group and called themselves Mara (Central American term for Gang) Salvatrucha (Salva comes from El Salvador, and Trucha means clever). In the photos, the three can be seen relaxing and having drinks on a balcony in Sydney after "an all-night party," the Daily Mail reported. The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union has urged members to accept the offer. He added: "Thompson is the leader of the hardcore of thugs in Aberdeen prison. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. There were plans at one stage to move Thompson from cushier Aberdeen to the tougher regime of Barlinnie but Rita bizarrely objected on the grounds that her husband might "fall in with a bad crowd.". One police file said: The overall picture of Thompson is that of a violent, vicious and active criminal who will stop at nothing to uphold his position in the underworld as a hard man and to gain his own ends". His former business associate, Frankie Fraser, said Mrs Thompson was a "lovely lady". No one man had dominated organised crime in the city quite like Arthur Thompson and no one man ever would. THE widow of Arthur Thompson, the former Glasgow godfather, has died. 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. Legend has it that the crime boss later viewed the bodies and shot both men in the chest with another gun. Although he has been dead for nearly eight years, the name of Arthur Thompson still induces instant amnesia or muteness in Provanmill residents. [9] He was acquitted of all charges. In time-honoured tradition, Thompson failed to speak out against the brothers and they were cleared of all charges. Using JVC S-VHS VCR, at SP onto JVC SV-Master grade tape, tape A. By the 1980s, Glasgow was in the midst of a heroin epidemic as the drug flooded into the city in a market worth up to 30 million. Thompson received a not proven verdict, despite the eyewitness accounts of Joe and his brother. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Rita Thompson (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), who passed away at the age of 64, on August 18, 2021. Arthur survived thebomb attack but his mother-in-lawMargaret Johnstone was killed outright. Fort Fairfield - Rita Jean Thompson, 78, wife of the late Berkley A. Thompson, passed away Thursday evening, February 9, 2023, at Madigan Estates, Houlton, following an extended illness. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Arthur Thompson (September 1931 13 March 1993) was a Scottish gangster who was active in Glasgow from the 1950s and took charge of organised crime in the city for over thirty years. Privacy policy |
Norval made his name in local gangs, moving on to protection rackets, working pubs, clubs and bookies then, naturally, to armed robbery. HE was Glasgows equivalent of Don Corleone, the fictional New York crime godfather immortalised in his portrayal by Marlon Brando. Drag your file here or click Browse below. Born in September 1931 in the industrial area of Springburn, Glasgow he was destined for a life of crime. Arthur survived the bomb attack but his mother-in-law Margaret Johnstone was killed outright. [5] His other son, Billy, was stabbed and seriously wounded 400 yards (350 metres) from the family home [8] in 2000, but survived. Three years later, a car mounted the pavement outside his home and ran him over. But the damage to his family's already tattered reputation, not to mention the violent implications for Glasgow's underworld, look set to last for some time to come. Norval's daughter, Rita Gunn, is charged with conspiring to damage the court but acquitted. The 37-year-old was found seriously injured on his doorstep on Tuesday. Arthur was charged with their murders, but he was set free because no witnesses came forward to testify. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . At the time his parents lived in Provanmill Road, Blackhill, in a garishly converted former council house nicknamed The Ponderosa, after the 1960s cowboy TV series Bonanza. Fatboy was very different to his father. He was born in 1928 in Possil, three years before Old Arthur Thompson, a Godfather contemporary, but one whose criminal path diverged into drugs, whereas Norval preferred to do it the old fashioned way, with a mask and a gun in an armed robbery, never mind the occasional stabbing. The name sticks because in 1977 its members are involved in four different trials and to avoid cross-contamination the principals are given anonymous idents, Mr X, Mr Y, and so on. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can It may be one of the few occasions when the law had got the better of him. Beatings and slashings were routinely inflicted on anyone who failed to pay up. He even threatened to bomb the homes of two off-duty police officers after they saw him kill two men in Royston Road, Glasgow, in May that year. Join Facebook to connect with Rita and others you may know. He drove his car directly at their van and forced it off the road. Thompson himself had been known for punishing enemies or bad debtors by nailing their hands and feet to the floor crucifixion-style. Rita Thompson building. The lack of a dominant godfather figure means rival factions are fighting to fill the power vacuum, and police fear the violence may escalate further. By 1966, Arthur Thompson was all-powerful in Glasgow. His closing years were plagued by two bouts of cancer, first of the bowel and then the lung. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 PM . Kenyans who live in the slums carrying the body of a suspected Mungiki member. Thompson in turn was accused of the culpable homicide of Goldie and Welsh. For more than 30 years until his death in 1993 Thompson ruled Glasgows criminal underworld with an iron fist through his interests in extortion, money lending, illegal casinos, robbery, and drugs. A Gannett Company. The 64-year-old woman was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital following the crash on Elmbank Street last month. Dumbarton police stop 'dangerous' vehicle on A82 as driver fails cannabis test. In dramatic scenes, Thompson and the Welshes both stood trial at the same time at the High Court in Glasgow. Anniversary. The first milestone he set himself was to go to Borstal, which he achieved at 16 after breaking into a Hope Street office and holding up a newsagent with a fake gun. New Glasgow west end venue The Wendy Bar opens its doors on Byres Road. However, he survived an assassination attempt in 1985 and another one in 1988. Today, there is an estimated 70,000 members throughout Central and North America. On the day of Fatboys funeral, the bodies of two of Ferris associates were found in a car. If located in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Eire, kindly contact Mirrorpix directly at desk@mirrorpix.com. Obituaries & obituary notices in Glasgow. Nothing befitted his life like the leaving of it. Find local and national death notices, funeral notices, obituaries, in memoriams, and acknowledgements at funeral-notices.co.uk, plus a directory of over 3,000 UK Funeral Directors The gunman, an IRA hitman, had been hired by a rival to kill him. 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. GALENA, Ill. Rita M. Glasgow, 89, of Galena, died Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at Galena Stauss Senior Care Community, Galena surrounded by her family. Rita Thompson, who had throat cancer, died in 2006 at the age of 72. [8] [7] Other children [ edit] Thompson's daughter, Margaret, died from a drug overdose in 1989. After several escapes from camp he was sentenced to 18 months hard labour for slashing another soldier with shards of glass. Like any other inmate, he regularly applied for parole and the previously secret documents reflected the view of the authorities had of him at the time. The car was deliberately placed on the funeral route. The gang clashed with the owners of matatus (privately owned minibusses) and approximately 50 people died in the violence. Brothers Martin, George and Henry Welsh, 24, were charged with murdering Margaret and attempting to kill Arthur in the revenge attack. They had been shot in the head and the anus. It later transpired that they would have been better off inside prison. He is a consummate villain. As a result, they were given a police guard and their families moved to safety in another part of the city. 74 members of the sect were arrested. The police breakthrough came, inevitably, from an informant and many of the gang were found in Norval's Maryhill airt and in the south side under the noses of the authorities, just yards from the Orkney Street police office. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. 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. Single Use in context. She received three years in prison for the attack. Gangsters usually have elaborate and colourful funerals and Walter Norval's was no different. It was the end of an astonishing era. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. No one man had dominated organised crime in the city quite like Arthur Thompson and no one man ever would. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. MS-13 worked with Mexican drug cartels regularly and is becoming ever more active in the United States. 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. In August 1991, Arthur Jr, 31, was shot dead outside the family home while on weekend leave from prison. The recent stabbing of a gangland godfather's son has reignited the battle for control of a 300m drugs market. Earlier this year, pitched battles broke out in Chinese restaurants between the Wo Sing Wo Triad and their rivals, the Tai Huen Chair or Big Circle Gang. In later life he even adopted some of the late US mobster's sartorial taste in pinstripes. He is known to have blown up a bar and social club after one owner refused to comply. His account, as it was in all subsequent violent episodes, was that the red mist had come down and he couldn't remember a thing about it afterwards. Thompson would also carry out hits for the Krays in London and they would do the same in return in Glasgow. *** Local Caption *** Scottish gangs This photo license is intended for editorial use only. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. It was just a way for the terrified owner to pay protection to Thompson. 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. We identified 2 records related to "Rita Thompson" in the state of Kentucky. McPherson wrote: It was straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie and was full of cockney hardmen. Friends of Thompson say he was never the same after young Arthurs death. When he was sent to Inverness after one escapade, a 21-inch metal cosh was found inside his pillow. 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. The violence was on a much, much higher level. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. ), added to the myth of the occasion by telling the world that her good old Da was determined not to leave the world until he know that his 'lassies' could look after themselves. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. Thompson suspected both men of being involved in his sons murder and is said to have paid a hitman 20,000 to execute them. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. Along with rivals Barrio 18, they have ensured that El Salvador is the worlds murder capital. On one occasion, the then BBC broadcaster accompanied Thompson to an underworld pub in London. [14], Thompson is survived by Tracey Thompson, his last remaining child. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. There was to be further drama that day as there was also a bomb scare at the cemetery where Thompson Jr was due to be buried. Copyright 2023 Bridgeman Art Library Limited. One of its founders claims that the Mungiki began as a local militia in the 1980s. Arthurs influence began to wane while his son was in prison and other gangs saw the chance of rich pickings. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Another local hard man, Paul Ferris, was charged with Fat Boy's murder, but cleared after Scotland's longest criminal trial. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. In 1969, Arthurs wife, Rita, stabbed the wife of Patrick Welsh in the chest. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. Thompson was one of the most feared criminals in Scotland. Born in September 1931[1] in the industrial area of Springburn, Glasgow,[2] Arthur Thompson began his career as a money lender, and was said to crucify those who did not repay their debts, by nailing them to floors or doors. Prison chiefs were also under no illusions about the kind of man they were dealing with. Friendly with the likes of 'Mad' Frankie Fraser and Billy Hill, he was a leading underworld figure north of the border. He booked himself into a private clinic and told the police the injury had been caused by a drill bit which broke off. All rights reserved. At an identification parade, he refused to identify the IRA suspect. The group has a total disdain for the modernization of their country and completely reject Western influences. He died in March 2017, so at the time of writing, Tracey Thompson is Arthurs only remaining child. Scores of large ones involving hundreds of foot soldiers, secret weapons arsenals and explosives in safe houses across Glasgow, and over three years in the mid-70s they mob carried out dozens of armed robberies, usually of payrolls, often from hospitals and major works, but also from post offices across the country. For Norval the past was not just a different country but one with a language and culture he did not understand. Three shots at close range from a .22 pistol hit young Arthur. 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. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Around 10pm, on August 17, Arthur left his parents house to walk the short distance to his own home where he lived with his wife and young daughter. View Rita Thompson results in Georgia (GA) including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. 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 Glasgows equivalent of Don Corleone, the fictional New York crime boss immortalised by Marlon Brando in the classic Oscar-winning Godfather movie. Glasgow comedian pokes fun at 'West End Mums' in hilarious Pet Shop Boys parody, Hilarious TikToker Zara has created a fantastic parody of Pet Shop Boys 80s classic 'West End Girls' taking aim at mums living in the west end of the city 'because being south's an anxiety trigger. [8][7], Thompson's daughter, Margaret, died from a drug overdose in 1989. By the Eighties, the Thompson clan had moved into the drug trade led by the Thompsons' eldest son, Arthur Jnr, known as Fat Boy, who operated out of Blackpool. When he came out his era had passed. Arthur suspected that two men from the rival Welsh clan, Patrick Welsh and James Goldie, had planted the bomb. In his 2009 autobiography, legendary Scottish football commentator Archie Macpherson revealed he was paid up to 500 a time in the early 1980s to host events organised by Thompson. 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. Once, when giving evidence at the High Court in Glasgow he even joked about speaking with cotton wool in his mouth a technique Brando used in the iconic movie to sound like an Italian mobster. Two weeks later Joe learned of Thompsons plans to blow up both his and Johns homes in Glasgow. 'No one is going to say anything about him or the rest of the family.'. Tributes paid to 'vibrant' Glasgow community hero who tragically died after long cancer battle. The Mungiki sect emerged from Kenyas biggest ethnic group; known as the Kikuyu. Its rumoured Thompson was present when Ronnie infamously shot George Cornell of the rival Richardson gang in Londons Blind Beggar pub in 1966. "He will inevitably return to his lucrative club management and his position as a leader of the Glasgow criminal fraternity. There was a massive turnout for young Arthurs funeral that afternoon with key members of the citys underworld there to pay their respects to both the victim and more importantly his father. Glasgow crime stories: Arthur Thompson who ruled the city's underworld for more than 30 years. He was friendly with another legendary London gangster too Mad Frankie Fraser. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com. [3] Protection rackets soon followed, and he was also involved in bank robberies and heists for a time. Out of the darkness stepped a mystery man who opened fire before escaping in a stolen car with two other men. Glasgow's original Godfather: Walter Norval. For McPhee, the end was always going to come like this.' The 56-year-old had been reported missing on Sunday. Business reporter with panache dies in retirement. He might have observed the criminal code but never the marital one. Arthur Thompson, known as the Godfather in the city, formed the gang and began his career as a money lender in a council estate. The Thompson Gang was finished at this point, and Arthur died in his bed in 1993. Norval's trial has a fiery hanselling. After a few years of relatively low-key activity, the gang escalated its violent activity in 2007. Others probably organised the double execution as a favour to him and out of respect. Comments have been closed on this article. At an identification parade he refused to identify the IRA suspect. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. In October 2016, the gang is believed to have murdered up to 6 people in the Brentwood area of New York including two teenage girls. He recognised them immediately as they and Ferris were regulars. As his power and wealth grew, so did his influence. But he was able to argue an attempted murder case down to a three-year sentence in Peterhead for assault. All planned teacher strikes have been suspended after a new pay offer was presented by the Scottish Government. [11][12][13], Thompson died at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 13 March 1993 from a heart attack at the age of 61. contact the editor here. It's now, as leader of what becomes known as the XYY Gang, that Norval becomes notorious. On both occasions, he told police that he feared for his life. A Gannett Company. 541 court search results for people named "Rita Thompson" in the United States. photos. They could. But nowadays, the people who call themselves gangsters don't do any hard work themselves. BROOKS John to Elizabeth (McInally) on 19th June 1971, in the parish of the Immaculate Heart of. Fairbairn was a ferocious right-winger who had married into the Scottish aristocracy, later became Solicitor-General appointed by Margaret Thatcher and died of cirrhosis of the liver. YASSER FEVER; TENS OF THOUSANDS MOB ARAFAT COFFIN. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Nine months later Thompson died in his bed from a heart attack. Whoever did that was taking a big chance as Hanlon's Ford Orion was well known to the police and was regularly stopped. As a result, they were given a police guard and their families moved to safety. They were heavily involved in the violence in the ethnic Luos area which claimed the lives of several hundred people. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can Their desire is to ensure their nation reverts to indigenous African traditions. Ferris trial was the longest and most expensive in Scottish history up to that point, but he was acquitted. It was clear to everyone in the citys underworld what type of message was being sent out with the double murder. Arthur survived, but his mother-in-law was killed. Theres also little doubt that Arthur Thompson Snr ordered the killings. However, Rita never sang a note. She sadly passed away on Wednesday, March 1. However, despite the murder of his son, the Godfather wasn't quite finished yet. At one time, he had at least 20 pubs in Glasgow paying him 4000 each week. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. 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. However, Rita never sang a note. Although he was aging, Old Arthur was still seen as a threat, so his enemies wanted to remove him from the picture permanently. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. 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. Thompson signed into a private clinic in the West End of Glasgow and told police the injury was caused by a broken drill bit. Zoe Hagman and her daughter Ariana Catalano have opened Arredo on Shawlands' Kilmarnock Road to bring some flair to the street and also to the homes of local shoppers. In spite of this, he is scalded with boiling water. Joe, now 80, said: As far as I was concerned what my brother and I saw that night was murder. McPherson wrote: It was straight out of a Guy Ritchie movie and was full of cockney hardmen. 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. Arthur Snr suspected both men of being involved in his sons murder and is said to have paid a hitman 20,000 to execute them. The following year, the Mungiki fought against Kenyan police and two officers died. His grandchildren and great grandchildren have to remain anonymous for the safety of the family. He saw little of his father and mother a mixed marriage in the Glasgow sense, father a Catholic, mother a Protestant romping around the area, avoiding school and police, whatever criminal mischief was afoot Wattie was at the heart of it. It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. One police file said: The overall picture of Thompson is that of aviolent, vicious and active criminal who will stop at nothing to uphold his position in the underworld as a hard man and to gain his own ends.. Glasgow priest found guilty of abusing four young girls walks free from court. Extended: Glasgow's crime godfather Arthur Thompson and the murder of his son, The Glasgow crime story of the murder of Jackie Gallagher, The Glasgow crime story of the mysterious murder of wealthy Marion Gilchrist in 1908, The Glasgow Crime Story of Eleni Pachou who was murdered in her work Di Maggio's. Another police file from 1969 said: "Thompson is one of the leading criminal lights in Glasgow with connections in London.". 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. But when I was with Thompson, I was safe and I could have had anything in the pub that I wanted that night.. In 1989, Arthur's daughter, Margaret, died of a drugs overdose. Both men died, but Arthur escaped prosecution because no witness would testify against him. For webmasters |, COPYRIGHT 2006 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday. Fraser, now dead, once recalled: Down south, we viewed Glasgow as the Wild West. His rivals tried and failed to eliminate him in 1966 when a bomb exploded under his car. Arthur Jnr had enjoyed a celebratory dinner with his father and other family members at the popular Cafe India restaurant in Glasgows Charing Cross. [6] Thompson was charged with murder but not prosecuted as the police could find no witnesses who would testify. Around 500 bodies of Mungiki gang members have turned up in bushes outside Nairobi; they are probably victims of in-fighting. 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. [5], His other son, Billy, was stabbed and seriously wounded 400 yards (350 metres) from the family home[8] in 2000, but survived. Editors' Code of Practice. Tony Thompson reports, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. gemini and scorpio parents gabi wilson net worth 2021. rita thompson glasgow. They had each been shot in the back of the head, with an extra bullet fired up their anuses for good measure. A few days after the double murder, armed police raided the Ponderosa home looking for evidence but nothing was found. "His depravity is veneered with conformity and deadly quietness, and he is difficult to undermine when he is on the alert. [8] In 1988, Thompson suffered a broken leg after he was run over by a car and shot at, again outside his home. Michael Beale will be looking for an immediate reaction from his side after suffering a first defeat in charge of the Light Blues in the League Cup Final defeat to Celtic. By now, his son Arthur Jr., also known as Fatboy, was in charge of the gang as Arthur Sr. took a backseat. He had been a regular visitor to Northern Ireland. Veterinary hospital McDonald Vets, in Scotstoun in the west of Glasgow, has resumed a full service after closing for several months following the blaze in August 2022. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. As a result the takeover never took place. 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. By this stage in his career Norval had a wife in Liddesdale Street, Milton, and a mistress, Jean, whom he housed separately, in Willowbank Street, but who remained loyal to him for the rest of his life.