Dave Courtney

For the singer-songwriter, see David Courtney.
Dave Courtney

Courtney (right) in 2003 with Rob Ferguson
Born 17 February 1959
Bermondsey, London, England
Education Forest Hill Comprehensive
Occupation Actor
Website
www.davecourtney.com

Dave Courtney (born 17 February 1959) is an English self-proclaimed former gangster[1] who has become both an author[2] and celebrity-gangster figure.[3] 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.[4][5]

Courtney attended Forest Hill Comprehensive,

Personal life

Born in Bermondsey, London,[6] Courtney often focuses on his links with gangsters such as Reggie Kray[7] and Lenny McLean,[8] though in the case of the former, he was nine years old when Kray was imprisoned. Courtney has claimed to have been shot,[9] stabbed, had his nose bitten off, and stated that he has had to kill to stay alive himself.[9] He also makes the claim that his involvement in a car crash on the M20 was an attempt by "someone who had a grudge against him" to kill him.[10]

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.[11][12]

Courtney claims to have been involved in debt-collecting, minding clubs,[13] assault, contraband, and murder.[14] He also claims he has spent time in Belmarsh Prison as a high security prisoner,[15] which has been backed up by ex-prison guard Jim Dawkins in his book "The Loose Screw".[16] 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".

Author

Courtney is now an author,[17] having had six books published: Stop The Ride I Want to Get Off,[9] Raving Lunacy,[13] Dodgy Dave's Little Black Book,[18] The Ride's Back On,[15] F**k the Ride,[19] and Heroes & Villains.[20] He has also starred in and produced his own film, Hell To Pay, 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.[21]

Acting

Largely making a living from television documentaries[22] 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 2010 film Killer Bitch.[23] In his latest movie 'Full English Breakfast',[24] Courtney stars in the lead role, playing the part of notorious gangster, Dave Bishop.

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.[25]

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."[26]

In May 2009 he was made bankrupt, owing £400,000 to creditors, including taxes of £250,000.[11]

On 29 July 2009, he was arrested and charged[27] 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.[28] 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.[29] Courtney was on remand in HMP Belmarsh, concerning the aforementioned Firearms offences. On 10 December 2009, Courtney was cleared after the jury took two hours to find him not guilty on all charges.[30]

In popular culture

Publications

Filmography

External links

References