Bernard O'Mahoney
Encyclopedia
Patrick Bernard O'Mahoney (born 15 March 1960 in Dunstable
, Bedfordshire
, England
) is an English-born crime author of Irish
descent. Along with his book writing activities he is known for forming relationships with prisioners with a significant media interest and selling information gained in the course of the relationship to the press.
, Birmingham
, West Midlands
. He was born in Dunstable
and has also lived in Wolverhampton
, London
, Essex
, Peterborough
, Basildon
, Northern Ireland
and South Africa
.
He has six children, Adrian, Vinney, Karis, Daine, Lydia and Paddy. He is married to Roshea, who is some 20 years younger than Bernard. He was the subject matter of Episode 7 of Series 2 of the Sky
"Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men" (which can be viewed on his website and YouTube
). O'Mahoney has campaigned for the re-introduction of the death penalty for murderers, particularly those that kill women and children.
area during the early to mid 1990s
, which gained a high profile in November 1995 with the death of Latchingdon
teenager Leah Betts
.
as a soldier in the early 1980s
, including his involvement in the Northern Ireland troubles
which included frequent clashes with the IRA
.
. It also tells of O'Mahoney's violent childhood and youth, including the abuse he suffered at the hands of his alcoholic
father and Bernard's involvement with football hooliganism and the Nazi/far-right movement and subsequently his change of views and how he helped infiltrate the British Ku Klux Klan with a News of the World reporter. O'Mahoney also recalls the backlash against his own family and many other people of Irish
descent across England
in the aftermath of the IRA pub bombings of Birmingham
in 1974.
, Ronnie and Reggie, who dominated the gangland scene of London
in the 1960s
, as well as O'Mahoney correspondence with them during their imprisonment. It also tells of the notorious three "Essex Boys" drug dealers who terrorised Essex
with drug dealing and violence during the early to mid 1990s before they were found shot dead in a Range Rover
in December 1995. Bernard also, controversially, tells of how well known British crime-figure Dave Courtney
was a registered police informant, dispels several myths about the Kray twins and details how, in his opinion, many high-profile British criminals have told lies and fabricated or exaggerated events in order to boost their reputation/egos and earn money from selling "true crime" books.
O'Mahoney has however changed his description of events several times. In particular the basis for his deciding that Michelle Taylor was guilty after all was originally claimed to be due to finding a letter written by the Taylor's solicitor Michael Holmes in which he mentioned that Michelle had confessed. O'Mahoney altered his story after Michael Holmes denied writing any such letter.
The Taylors claimed that his accusations were motivated by Michelle breaking off the relationship due to his cheating on her and an argument over book rights.
.
in the decade or so that followed the murder of the original three "Essex Boys" in December 1995.
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is an English-born crime author of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent. Along with his book writing activities he is known for forming relationships with prisioners with a significant media interest and selling information gained in the course of the relationship to the press.
Personal life
Bernard O'Mahoney lives in HarborneHarborne
Harborne is an area three miles southwest from Birmingham city centre, England. It is a Birmingham City Council ward in the formal district and in the parliamentary constituency of Birmingham Edgbaston.- Geography :...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
. He was born in Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
and has also lived in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
He has six children, Adrian, Vinney, Karis, Daine, Lydia and Paddy. He is married to Roshea, who is some 20 years younger than Bernard. He was the subject matter of Episode 7 of Series 2 of the Sky
Sky
The sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
"Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men" (which can be viewed on his website and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
). O'Mahoney has campaigned for the re-introduction of the death penalty for murderers, particularly those that kill women and children.
So This is Ecstasy?
Published in April 1997, it tells the story of dealing of ecstasy and other hard drugs in the EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
area during the early to mid 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, which gained a high profile in November 1995 with the death of Latchingdon
Latchingdon
Latchingdon is a village situated in Essex, England. It is situated near the town of Chelmsford.Originally called Latchingdon & SnorehamEstablished: 1042AD as "Laecedune"...
teenager Leah Betts
Leah Betts
Leah Sarah Betts was a schoolgirl from Latchingdon in Essex, England, United Kingdom. She is notable for the extensive media coverage and moral panic that followed her death several days after her 18th birthday. On 11 November, she took an Ecstasy tablet, and then drank approximately 7 litres of...
.
Soldier of the Queen
Published in February 2001, this is O'Mahoney's account of his time with the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as a soldier in the early 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, including his involvement in the Northern Ireland troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
which included frequent clashes with the IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
.
Hateland
Published in May 2005, it tells of O'Mahoney's correspondence with nailbomber David CopelandDavid Copeland
David John Copeland is a former member of the British National Party and the National Socialist Movement, who became known as the "London Nail Bomber" after a 13-day bombing campaign in April 1999 aimed at London's black, Bangladeshi and gay communities.Over three successive weekends between 17...
. It also tells of O'Mahoney's violent childhood and youth, including the abuse he suffered at the hands of his alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
father and Bernard's involvement with football hooliganism and the Nazi/far-right movement and subsequently his change of views and how he helped infiltrate the British Ku Klux Klan with a News of the World reporter. O'Mahoney also recalls the backlash against his own family and many other people of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
descent across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the aftermath of the IRA pub bombings of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in 1974.
Wannabe In My Gang
Published in March 2004, it tells of the Kray TwinsKray twins
Reginald "Reggie" Kray and his twin brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s...
, Ronnie and Reggie, who dominated the gangland scene of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
, as well as O'Mahoney correspondence with them during their imprisonment. It also tells of the notorious three "Essex Boys" drug dealers who terrorised Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
with drug dealing and violence during the early to mid 1990s before they were found shot dead in a Range Rover
Range Rover
The Range Rover is a large luxury four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle produced by British car maker Land Rover. The model, launched in 1970, is now in its third generation...
in December 1995. Bernard also, controversially, tells of how well known British crime-figure Dave Courtney
Dave Courtney
Dave Courtney is a self-proclaimed British former gangster who has become both an author and celebrity-gangster figure...
was a registered police informant, dispels several myths about the Kray twins and details how, in his opinion, many high-profile British criminals have told lies and fabricated or exaggerated events in order to boost their reputation/egos and earn money from selling "true crime" books.
Essex Boys
Published in April 2000, it is a more in-depth story of the Essex Boys, who featured in part of "Wannabe In My Gang" four years later.The Dream Solution
Published in September 2001, it tells of Bernard O'Mahoney's relationship with Michelle Taylor, a woman in her twenties, who along with her sister Lisa was convicted of murdering love rival Alison Shaughnessy in 1991, only to have their convictions quashed on appeal the following year. O'Mahoney claims that by the end of his relationship with Michelle he became convinced that the pair really had committed the murder he had spent months helping them get cleared of.O'Mahoney has however changed his description of events several times. In particular the basis for his deciding that Michelle Taylor was guilty after all was originally claimed to be due to finding a letter written by the Taylor's solicitor Michael Holmes in which he mentioned that Michelle had confessed. O'Mahoney altered his story after Michael Holmes denied writing any such letter.
The Taylors claimed that his accusations were motivated by Michelle breaking off the relationship due to his cheating on her and an argument over book rights.
Bonded By Blood
Published in October 2006, it tells of the British drugs scene as a whole, relating to the earlier books "Wannabe In My Gang" and "Essex Boys" which told of the drugs scene in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
Essex Boys - The New Generation
Published on the 1st of May 2008, Essex Boys - The New Generation tells of the drugs scene in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
in the decade or so that followed the murder of the original three "Essex Boys" in December 1995.
External links
- www.bernardomahoney.com
- http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=122604441113413&ref=ts