Dave Courtney
Encyclopedia
Dave Courtney is a self-proclaimed British
former gangster
who has become both an author
and celebrity-gangster figure. Author Bernard O'Mahoney
and the former member of the Richardson gang Frankie Fraser
have accused Courtney of embellishing and fabricating his criminal record
and position in the underworld; however, Courtney has denied overstating his past.
Courtney was educated at Forest Hill
Comprehensive, where he was an active member of the drama group, taking the lead role in several plays.
, Courtney often focuses on his links with hard men such as Reggie Kray
and the infamous Lenny McLean
, though in the case of the former, he was nine years old when Kray
was imprisoned. Courtney has claimed to have been shot, stabbed, had his nose bitten off, and stated that he has had to kill to stay alive himself. He also makes the claim that unarmed police officers were behind a car crash on the M20
in an attempt to kill him.
He often refers to himself as Dave Courtney OBE–"One Big Ego"–but is not an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
. His house in south London
, called 'Camelot', is decorated with Union Flags
, a painted depiction of himself as a knight
and a large knuckle duster.
Courtney claims to have been involved in debt-collecting
, minding clubs
, assault
, contraband
, and murder
. He also claims he has spent time in the notorious Belmarsh Prison as a high security prisoner
, which has been backed up by ex-prison guard Jim Dawkins in his book "The Loose Screw". In his book F**k the Ride, Courtney claims to have been found not guilty in 19 separate trials. Dave has cultivated a reputation for using the knuckle duster when debt-collecting
and was known as "The Yellow Pages Of The Underworld".
, and took on the leading role of Mad Dave opposite Manish Patel in cult British film Triads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees
. However, Dave is probably best known for organising the security at gangster Ronnie Kray's funeral in 1995. Courtney has claimed to be the inspiration for Vinnie Jones
's debt-collecting hard man in the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
.
documentaries and personal appearances, Courtney ran his own website
, was involved in charity
work, and worked on the films Six Bend Trap
and Clubbing To Death alongside Craig Charles and Nick Moran
. He is also featured in the 2008 film The Dead Sleep Easy
, filmed on location in Mexico
. He has worked with Director Liam Galvin on 2 DVDs - Dave Courtney's Dodgy DVD and Dave Courtney Even Dodgier - both released by Gangster Videos. He collaborated again with Liam Galvin on the infamous 2010 film Killer Bitch
.
In January 2009 he was given an 18 month conditional discharge
at Bristol Crown Court, on a charge of possessing live ammunition without a firearms certificate. His defence of not knowing that the single live pistol round was live rather than a stage prop prompted Judge Ticehurst to comment, “It perhaps undermines your street credibility and your stage performance that you cannot distinguish between a real round and a fake round. But perhaps that’s not for me to say.”
In May 2009 he was made bankrupt, owing £400,000 to creditors, including taxes of £250,000.
On the 29th July, 2009, he was arrested and charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, specifically a Brocock Air Cartridge pistol, and possession of a firearm whilst being a prohibited person. He was sent in custody to Woolwich Crown Court for trial. Although the Brocock pistol was previously legal as an air-weapon (and would then have been legal for Courtney to possess), past police concerns (unconnected to Courtney) over the "ease" with which they might be converted as cartridge-firing firearms led to a ban on this specific design. Courtney was on remand in HMP Belmarsh, concerning the aforementioned Firearms offences. On 10 December, Courtney was cleared after the jury took two hours to find him not guilty on all charges.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
former gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
who has become both an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and celebrity-gangster figure. Author Bernard O'Mahoney
Bernard O'Mahoney
Patrick Bernard O'Mahoney 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.-Personal...
and the former member of the Richardson gang Frankie Fraser
Frankie Fraser
Francis Davidson Fraser is a former British criminal and gang member who spent 42 years in prison for numerous violent offences.-Early life:...
have accused Courtney of embellishing and fabricating his criminal record
Criminal record
A criminal record is a record of a person's criminal history, generally used by potential employers, lenders etc. to assess his or her trustworthiness. The information included in a criminal record varies between countries and even between jurisdictions within a country...
and position in the underworld; however, Courtney has denied overstating his past.
Courtney was educated at Forest Hill
Forest Hill School
Forest Hill School is a comprehensive boys school located on Dacres Road, Forest Hill in the London Borough of Lewisham. It opened in 1956. The school has very close ties with the girls' secondary, Sydenham School, which is located close by...
Comprehensive, where he was an active member of the drama group, taking the lead role in several plays.
Personal life
Born in Bermondsey, LondonBermondsey
Bermondsey is an area in London on the south bank of the river Thames, and is part of the London Borough of Southwark. To the west lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe, and to the south, Walworth and Peckham.-Toponomy:...
, Courtney often focuses on his links with hard men such as Reggie Kray
Kray 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...
and the infamous Lenny McLean
Lenny McLean
Leonard John "Lenny" McLean , also known as "The Guv'nor," was an East End of London bareknuckle fighter, bouncer, criminal and prisoner, author, businessman, bodyguard, enforcer, weightlifter, television presenter and actor, and has been referred to as "the hardest man in Britain".McLean's...
, though in the case of the former, he was nine years old when Kray
Kray 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...
was imprisoned. Courtney has claimed to have been shot, stabbed, had his nose bitten off, and stated that he has had to kill to stay alive himself. He also makes the claim that unarmed police officers were behind a car crash on the M20
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
in an attempt to kill him.
He often refers to himself as Dave Courtney OBE–"One Big Ego"–but is not an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. His house in south London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, called 'Camelot', is decorated with Union Flags
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
, a painted depiction of himself as a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
and a large knuckle duster.
Courtney claims to have been involved in debt-collecting
Collection agency
A collection agency is a business that pursues payments of debts owed by individuals or businesses. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed....
, minding clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
, contraband
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
, and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
. He also claims he has spent time in the notorious Belmarsh Prison as a high security prisoner
Prisoner
A prisoner is someone incarcerated in a prison, jail or similar facility.Prisoner or The Prisoner may also refer to:* Prisoner of war, a soldier in wartime, held as by an enemy* Political prisoner, someone held in prison for their ideology...
, which has been backed up by ex-prison guard Jim Dawkins in his book "The Loose Screw". In his book F**k the Ride, Courtney claims to have been found not guilty in 19 separate trials. Dave has cultivated a reputation for using the knuckle duster when debt-collecting
Collection agency
A collection agency is a business that pursues payments of debts owed by individuals or businesses. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed....
and was known as "The Yellow Pages Of The Underworld".
Author
Courtney is now an author, having had six books published: Stop The Ride I Want to Get Off, Raving Lunacy, Dodgy Dave's Little Black Book, The Ride's Back On, F**k the Ride, and Heroes & Villains. He has also starred in and produced his own film, Hell To PayHell to Pay (film)
Hell to Pay is a 2005 British film by Roberto Gomez Martin, his directorial debut, about a London East End's gangster life based on the semi-autobiographical story of Dave Courtney, who plays character of Dave Malone in the film.-Plot:...
, and took on the leading role of Mad Dave opposite Manish Patel in cult British film Triads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees
Triads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees
Triads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees is a 2003 British film directed by Sarjit Bains.The poignant story of a hitman who must kill friends and enemies to get the girl, the film stars real life ex-gangster and underworld don Dave Courtney...
. However, Dave is probably best known for organising the security at gangster Ronnie Kray's funeral in 1995. Courtney has claimed to be the inspiration for Vinnie Jones
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...
's debt-collecting hard man in the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British crime film directed and written by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag...
.
Acting
Largely making a living from televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
documentaries and personal appearances, Courtney ran his own website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
, was involved in charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
work, and worked on the films Six Bend Trap
Six Bend Trap
Six Bend Trap is a 2006 comedy crime film directed by Mike McCarthy. It is the first independent script to screen HD feature film, shot entirely in the Middlesbrough area with a couple of shots done at Peterborough Dog Track. Using a wide range of local actors in leading roles, completely funded by...
and Clubbing To Death alongside Craig Charles and Nick Moran
Nick Moran
Nicholas James "Nick" Moran is an English actor, writer, producer and director, best known for his role as Eddy the card shark in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels...
. He is also featured in the 2008 film The Dead Sleep Easy
The Dead Sleep Easy
The Dead Sleep Easy is a 2008 Canadian drama film, a co-production of Odessa Filmworks and Zed Filmworks produced on location in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico...
, filmed on location in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He has worked with Director Liam Galvin on 2 DVDs - Dave Courtney's Dodgy DVD and Dave Courtney Even Dodgier - both released by Gangster Videos. He collaborated again with Liam Galvin on the infamous 2010 film Killer Bitch
Killer Bitch
Killer Bitch is a 2010 British action-gangster film written and directed by Liam Galvin.The film became notorious in the UK in August 2009, shortly after shooting started, when tabloid newspapers the News of the World and The People carried stories implying that the movie's star, Katie Price's...
.
Legal Cases
In June 2004, The Sun newspaper reported that Courtney had been cleared of beating his wife during a row over her lesbian lover.In January 2009 he was given an 18 month conditional discharge
Conditional discharge
A discharge is a type of sentence where no punishment is imposed. An absolute discharge is unconditional: the defendant is not punished, and the case is over. In some jurisdictions, an absolute discharge means there is no conviction despite a finding that the defendant is guilty...
at Bristol Crown Court, on a charge of possessing live ammunition without a firearms certificate. His defence of not knowing that the single live pistol round was live rather than a stage prop prompted Judge Ticehurst to comment, “It perhaps undermines your street credibility and your stage performance that you cannot distinguish between a real round and a fake round. But perhaps that’s not for me to say.”
In May 2009 he was made bankrupt, owing £400,000 to creditors, including taxes of £250,000.
On the 29th July, 2009, he was arrested and charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, specifically a Brocock Air Cartridge pistol, and possession of a firearm whilst being a prohibited person. He was sent in custody to Woolwich Crown Court for trial. Although the Brocock pistol was previously legal as an air-weapon (and would then have been legal for Courtney to possess), past police concerns (unconnected to Courtney) over the "ease" with which they might be converted as cartridge-firing firearms led to a ban on this specific design. Courtney was on remand in HMP Belmarsh, concerning the aforementioned Firearms offences. On 10 December, Courtney was cleared after the jury took two hours to find him not guilty on all charges.
In Popular Culture
- In 1990, he had a small role in the gangster movie The KraysThe Krays (film)The Krays is a 1990 film based on the lives and crimes of the British gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, twins who are often referred to as The Krays...
. - In 1999, he addressed the Oxford Union Society at a meeting of the student debating society.
- In 2000, Courtney was profiled in a three-part observational documentary series called Dave Courtney's Underworld, produced for Channel Five. The series followed the launch of Courtney's celebrity career, as well as his trial for involvement in a police corruption case. The series ends with Courtney being found 'not guilty' and his celebrations with friends. The story of the making of the series is featured in Courtney's book The Ride's Back On.
- In 2003, California punk rock band RancidRancid (band)Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
featured a song entitled "David Courtney" on their 6th release, Indestructible. - Artist TrickyTrickyTricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
samples him on the song "Dave Courtney", which appears on the album Product of the Environment (featuring a number of British gangsters). - He performs the spoken intro and outro to the song "Hell 2 Pay" by Oi!Oi!Oi! is a working class subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The music and its associated subculture had the goal of bringing together punks, skinheads and other working-class youths ....
band The BusinessThe Business (band)The Business are an English Oi!/punk rock band formed in 1979 in Lewisham, South London. Their album Suburban Rebels became influential in the Oi! movement...
. - He recorded a version of "I Fought The Law" with Scottish pop-punks Mute in 2001 which gave himself and the band exposure in the daily tabloids. The song re-written by Mute frontman Jay Burnett (now with WendigoWendigoThe Wendigo is a mythical creature appearing in the mythology of the Algonquian people. It is a malevolent cannibalistic spirit into which humans could transform, or which could possess humans...
) is a hybrid of the original Sonny CurtisSonny CurtisSonny Curtis is an American singer and songwriter. Most of his work falls into the Pop and Country genres. He was a teenage pal and band member with Buddy Holly in Lubbock, Texas...
track and the more recent story regarding Dave Courtney's infamous court case featured in Stop The Ride. - He is currently involved with various movie projects in the UK, and in 2005 became involved in a development deal with a California film and television production company. He continues to perform his Audience with.. events.
- He was featured on the UK science show Brainiac: Science AbuseBrainiac: Science AbuseBrainiac: Science Abuse is a British entertainment TV show with a science motif. Numerous experiments are carried out in each show, often to verify whether common conceptions are true or simply to create impressive explosions...
where he was enlisted to attempt to break into 'The unbreakable safe'. He didn't succeed. - He made several appearances on Channel 5 show The People vs. Jerry SadowitzThe People vs. Jerry SadowitzThe People vs. Jerry Sadowitz was a late night British TV show which ran from 1998 to 1999 on Channel Five. It featured comedian Jerry Sadowitz talking to members of the public. The idea being that the person Sadowitz found most deserving would win the prize of £10,000. Contestants could talk...
.
Filmography
- Killer BitchKiller BitchKiller Bitch is a 2010 British action-gangster film written and directed by Liam Galvin.The film became notorious in the UK in August 2009, shortly after shooting started, when tabloid newspapers the News of the World and The People carried stories implying that the movie's star, Katie Price's...
(2010) ... Dave - The Dead Sleep EasyThe Dead Sleep EasyThe Dead Sleep Easy is a 2008 Canadian drama film, a co-production of Odessa Filmworks and Zed Filmworks produced on location in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico...
(2008) ... Tlaloc - Clubbing to Death (2007) ... Harry Dench
- Six Bend TrapSix Bend TrapSix Bend Trap is a 2006 comedy crime film directed by Mike McCarthy. It is the first independent script to screen HD feature film, shot entirely in the Middlesbrough area with a couple of shots done at Peterborough Dog Track. Using a wide range of local actors in leading roles, completely funded by...
(2006) ... Gordy Metcalf - Hell to PayHell to Pay (film)Hell to Pay is a 2005 British film by Roberto Gomez Martin, his directorial debut, about a London East End's gangster life based on the semi-autobiographical story of Dave Courtney, who plays character of Dave Malone in the film.-Plot:...
(2005) ... Dave Malone - The Baby Juice Express (2004) ... Baxter
- Triads, Yardies and Onion BhajeesTriads, Yardies and Onion BhajeesTriads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees is a 2003 British film directed by Sarjit Bains.The poignant story of a hitman who must kill friends and enemies to get the girl, the film stars real life ex-gangster and underworld don Dave Courtney...
(2003) ... Mad Dave - Dave Courtney's Underworld (Documentary) (2000) ... Himself
- One in Something (1999) ... Judge
- The KraysThe Krays (film)The Krays is a 1990 film based on the lives and crimes of the British gangsters Ronald and Reginald Kray, twins who are often referred to as The Krays...
(1990) ... Bill