Dave Courtney
Dave Courtney in 2019
Born
David John Courtney

(1959-02-17)17 February 1959
Bermondsey, London, England
Died22 October 2023(2023-10-22) (aged 64)
Plumstead, London, England
Occupation(s)Author, actor
Websitedavecourtney.com

David John Courtney[1] (17 February 1959 – 22 October 2023) was an English self-proclaimed gangster[2] who became both an author[3] and an actor.[4]

Personal life

Courtney was born in Bermondsey, London.[5] He went to Adamsrill primary school in Sydenham, South East London.

Courtney often focused on his links with gangsters such as Reggie Kray[6] and Lenny McLean, although 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. He made 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.[7]

Courtney often referred to himself as Dave Courtney OBE, the suffix standing for One Big Ego. His house in Plumstead, called Camelot Castle, was decorated with Union Jack flags and the cross of St George, a painted depiction of himself as a knight and a large knuckle duster,[8] alongside a band of supporting knights that included Lenny McLean, the Kray twins, Joey Pyle, Al Capone, John Gotti, Ronnie Biggs, Freddie Foreman, Roy Shaw, Howard Marks and Charlie Richardson.[5]

Courtney claimed to have been involved in debt-collecting, minding clubs, assault, contraband, and murder. He spent time in Belmarsh Prison as a high-security prisoner, as described by ex-prison guard Jim Dawkins in his book The Loose Screw.[9]

In his book F**k the Ride, Courtney claimed to have been found not guilty in 19 separate trials.

On 22 October 2023, Courtney was found dead at his home Chestnut Rise, Plumstead, having shot himself. He was 64.[10][11]

Author

Courtney was 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.

Courtney starred in and produced his own film, Hell to Pay (2005), and took on the leading role of Mad Dave opposite Manish Patel[12] in the low-budget British film Triads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees (2003).

Acting

Largely making a living from television documentaries[13] 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 Huey Morgan. Courtney was featured in the 2008 film The Dead Sleep Easy, filmed on location in Mexico.

Courtney 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 and the 2016 film Mob Handed.

Courtney appeared in the film Mother's Child (2020), as club owner Mr Townsend alongside Alex Reid. He made his final cinematic appearance in 2022, portraying John Saviour in Legacy.[14]

In June 2004, Courtney was cleared of beating his girlfriend Jennifer Lucrea Pinto during a row over her lesbian lover.[15][16]

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."[17]

In May 2009, Courtney filed for bankruptcy, reportedly owing £400,000 to creditors, including taxes of £250,000.[8]

On 29 July 2009, he was arrested and charged[18] 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. The Brocock pistol was previously legal as an air-weapon (and would then have been legal for Courtney to possess) but police concerns over the "ease" with which they can be converted into 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 2009, Courtney was cleared after the jury took two hours to find him not guilty on all charges.[19]

Written works

  • 1999: Stop the Ride I Want to Get Off[20]
  • 2000: Raving Lunacy[21]
  • 2001: Dodgy Dave's Little Black Book[22]
  • 2003: The Ride's Back On[23]
  • 2005: F**k the Ride[24]
  • 2006: Heroes & Villains[25]
  • 2008: The British Crime and Prison Quiz Book (with Jim Dawkins)[26]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ Courtney, Dave (4 September 2003). The Ride's Back on. Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-0-7535-0860-2. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Dave Courtney reformed gangster avoids jail possessing single bullet". Bristol Post. Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  3. ↑ metrowebukmetro (10 December 2009). "Author Dave Courtney's guns 'were his wife's'". Metro. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "Dave Courtney Interview". ViewLondon. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  5. 1 2 Loffhagen, Emma (25 October 2023). "The turbulent life of Dave Courtney, the East End gangster-turned-film star". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "BBC News – UK – Reggie Kray dies". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Gangster News". thekrays.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 December 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  8. 1 2 Singh, Rachael (21 May 2009). "Tax debt catches up with gangster". Accountancy Age. Archived from the original on 22 May 2009.
  9. ↑ Jim Dawkins; Dave Courtney (2007). The Loose Screw. Foreword by Charles Bronson. Apex. ISBN 978-1-904444-61-9.
  10. ↑ "Dave Courtney: Former gangster who became actor and author dies aged 64". Sky News. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "Dave Courtney: Former London gangster turned actor dies aged 64". BBC News. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Gangster flick's Southall of fame". Bucks Free Press. 16 April 2003. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  13. ↑ Brit Movie Archived 27 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ Legacy (2022) - IMDb, retrieved 12 January 2024
  15. ↑ "Ex-gangster cleared of attacking wife". 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024.
  16. ↑ "Statement of JENNIFER LUCREA PINTO". bernardomahoney.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  17. ↑ "Reformed gangster Dave Courtney escapes jail". Bristol Evening Post. 20 January 2009. Archived from the original on 7 May 2009.
  18. ↑ "Author and film-maker denies illegal weapons charges". BBC Online. 9 December 2009. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024.
  19. ↑ "Author cleared of weapons charges". BBC.co.uk. 10 December 2009. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024.
  20. ↑ Courtney, Dave (1999). Stop the Ride I Want to Get Off. Virgin Publishing. ISBN 0-7535-0462-6.
  21. ↑ Courtney, Dave (2000). Raving Lunacy. Virgin Publishing. ISBN 0-7535-0504-5.
  22. ↑ Courtney, Dave (2001). Dodgy Dave's Little Black Book. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0685-8.
  23. ↑ Courtney, Dave (2003). The Ride's Back On. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0860-5.
  24. ↑ Courtney, Dave (2005). F**k the Ride. Virgin Books. ISBN 1-85227-227-9.
  25. ↑ Courtney, Dave (2006). Heroes & Villains. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-1177-0.
  26. ↑ Dawkins, Jim; Courtney, Dave (2008). The British Crime and Prison Quiz Book. Foreword by Charles Bronson. Apex Publications. ISBN 978-1-906358-01-3.
  27. ↑ Rule Britannia: Fraud. Vice. 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014.
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