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Former London gangster Charlie Richardson passes away

Former London gangster Charlie Richardson passes away

THE former London gangster Charlie Richardson has passed away. He was 78.

Mr. Richardson and his brother Eddie, were rivals of the Kray brothers in east London during the 1960s and ran a gang whose criminal activities included extortion rackets and fraud. 

But in 1967 he was jailed for 25 years after a trial which was dominated by gruesome evidence that Mr. Richardson and his men had tortured people who had crossed the gang. But he always protested his innocence and was engaged in efforts to have his conviction considered by the Appeal Court.

Indeed, one of the people who had claimed he was tortured by Mr. Richardson has since rescinded his evidence and said he had been forced to make the torture allegations by a senior police officer.

Mr. Richardson ran his crime empire from a scrap metal yard and it was there that the torture was alleged to have been carried out. But the former crime boss always claimed that while victims of the gang had been assaulted, no one had ever been tortured and that his 25-year prison sentence was unjustified. 

In 1980 he escaped from an open prison and, while on the run, continued his campaign against his original conviction. He was recaptured in London and was eventually released from jail in 1984 after serving 17 years.

Following his release, Mr. Richardson had campaigned on behalf of young offenders.

To view a short interview with Charlie Richardson, click here.

 

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