Life of infamous Nineteen Seventies gangster Bobby Cummines from ‘menacing’ shotgun to jail hostage
Bobby Cummines was a notorious armed robber and gang leader in the 1970s who once said it didn’t matter whether he liked you or not, if he was paid to shoot you, he’d ‘f****** shoot you’
Bobby Cummines has died(Image: Unlock)
A notorious gangster who served time alongside the Krays was “quite an astonishing character.” That’s according to Penguin author, David Meikle who worked with Bobby Cummines on two books about his life.
It comes as the reformed hitman who gained infamy in the 1970s as an armed robber and gang boss before transforming his life and gaining an OBE, died earlier this week aged 74. Speaking to the Daily Star, Meikle said: “It was extraordinary, working with a hitman and armed robber who had been awarded the OBE. I worked with Bobby on two books, ‘I Am Not a Gangster’ and ’The Parkhurst Years’.
“He also double checked the facts in ‘The Krays: The Prison Years’.”
He added: “Bobby told me his life of crime started when he was ‘fitted up’ by the police. He had a row with officers over how they were talking to a group of kids.
“A cut-throat razor appeared on the ground, Bobby said, and they claimed it had been thrown out of his pocket. Bobby’s father persuaded him to plead guilty as it would only be a small fine.
“He lost his job as a shipping clerk because of the criminal record. After that, Bobby said: ‘If they want me to be bad, I’ll show them how bad I can be.'”
Born in Islington, London, in 1951, Cummines was the youngest of eight children and despite being raised in a law-abiding household, he left school at 16 without qualifications and embarked on his criminal career.
He went on to lead a firm of hitmen, blaggers and racketeers, dealing out extreme violence and brandishing a shotgun he called Kennedy. Cummines built a brutal reputation in 1970s north London and when, inevitably, he ended up in jail, he caused constant chaos, even holding the governor of a maximum security prison as a hostage.
Meikle said: “In high security jails, Bobby was polite to all of the other prisoners. He never knew how the wrong word or facial expression might be interpreted.
“The next day, you might have tiny glass particles hidden in your meal. One inmate at Parkhurst was killed after a row over who owned an onion in the kitchen.”
On life as a hitman, Bobby said himself: “There is no human or personal feeling in the crime business. It doesn’t matter whether I like you or hate you. If I’m paid to shoot you, I’ll f****** shoot you. It’s just a bit of work for me.
“I ruled my manor in north London with ruthless efficiency. I stalked the streets with a sawn-off, double-barrelled shotgun called Kennedy. That menacing weapon took no prisoners.”
But it was a conversation behind bars with one of Britain’s best-known criminals that put Bobby on the road to redemption. He got to know the late Charlie Richardson of the notorious south London “Torture Gang”, a deadly rival of the Kray Twins.
“He told me I had a good brain but if I carried on I would end up dead or on a life sentence. He told me to get into education – that it would earn me money without hurting anyone,” said Bobby.
Incredibly, he did just that, and Bobby became a respected anti-crime campaigner whose charities have helped rehabilitate hundreds of ex-offenders.
In his autobiography he detailed his life of crime and how he went straight. Including the moment in 2011 when the man who kept a portrait of the late Queen in his cell met her in person to get an OBE.
Meikle said: “It was remarkable how he turned his life around and ended up advising the government on crime. He did so much to improve prison life, down to small details such as organising bank accounts for prisoners.
“When Bobby received his official letter about the OBE, he assumed it was a prank. He tried to track down the trickster, then discovered the letter was genuine.”
The author, who recalled going out in Winchester for a haircut with Bobby, added: “He was quite an astonishing character, and I was proud to know him so well.
“Ironically, a short time ago, he said he wanted to work on a third book, detailing his life from A to Z. I might do that at some stage as a tribute to Bobby.”
Kate Beal Blyth, Chief Executive of Woodcut Media said: “Bobby was someone I had enormous respect for. He was always generous with his time, helping us on our documentaries.
“Bobby never stopped using his experiences to help others. His advocacy changed countless lives. It was an honour to be there when he celebrated receiving his OBE from the Queen – recognition that was so richly deserved.”
TV presenter Fred Dinenage, the official Krays biographer: “I interviewed Bobby on several occasions for documentaries for the Sky Crime channel.
“He was an encyclopaedia of 1960s crime. And a very entertaining and charismatic man who did great work with his charity, Unlock. He will be greatly missed.”
