by Jimmy Cryans
Apart from this one incident I was settling in really well and for the first time during my sentence I was starting to feel at peace with myself. Of course, the feeling of emptiness was never too far away but for now it was like it was having a wee sleep. I was aware of it but it wasn’t causing me too much grief.
There was an excellent football team at the prison that played in a local league and I soon managed to win a place in it. My ma once again made a long and difficult journey to visit me and was relieved to see me looking so well. I did not mention to her anything about the bother I had had with the soup man. It had always been my policy never to burden my ma with any of the problems I encountered during my sentence unless it was absolutely necessary. She had enough on her plate.
Long Lartin was full of characters such as John McVicar, who had been the prison librarian, and Johnny the Bosh, who was a master locksmith and safecracker. Both Johnny and another London face named Mickey D were in the same section as me and I spent many happy and interesting hours in their company. Johnny was in his mid-sixties and Mickey in his late-fifties, but to underestimate either of them would be a huge mistake – particularly Mickey, a professional hitman who had carried out a great deal of work for many of the London firms. He was serving a life sentence with a 30-year recommendation for carrying out a hit on a guy who had absconded with a very large sum from one of the London mobs. Mickey tracked the guy down to a yacht in Malta and put two bullets into his head. The guy’s mistress was on board so Mickey did her as well!
Mickey stood about 5ft 7in tall and weighed no more than 10 stone. He was a very intelligent man but an absolutely stone-cold killer who had discovered that he had a natural ability when it came to killing while serving with the British army and was highly proficient with weapons of every kind. He had no conscience whatsoever and thought of himself as providing a service, which he carried out with great efficiency. Yet I found him to be a lovely fella, like your favourite benevolent uncle. He had a full head of white hair and shook uncontrollably, though this did not stop him from enjoying the odd game of darts – it was usually best to stand well behind him.
Johnny the Bosh was doing an 18-year stretch for disabling the high-tech alarm system at the Bank of America in London after which the team made off with over £8 million in cash. It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, neither Mickey nor Johnny gave anyone up and they took their sentences on the chin.
Another character in my section was well-known London face Micky Ishmael. He was a real livewire, always with a smile on his face, and he had, without a doubt, the most fuck-off walk I have ever seen – a real flash London geezer. Brilliant!
In April 1980 I had a parole hearing. I had refused to participate in previous sessions but was persuaded by some of the guys to give it a go. As they put it, I had nothing to lose. I filled in the relevant paperwork and did the interviews, even though I did not hold out much hope of being successful. But the governor had been as good as his word and got back the remission that I had lost, and in July I was informed that the parole application had been successful. I was to be released on 18 August but before then I was to be given a home leave for three days on the second weekend of August.
I was allowed to make a phone call home to give Ma the news and she thought at first that I was kidding. When she realised I was serious she almost dropped the phone and she screamed with joy and then started to cry. Prisoners sometimes tend to forget that their loved ones are also doing a sentence along with them. But I had served three-and-a-half years of mine and I would be 27 years of age – I still had plenty of living to do.
I was now a single man, my boy James was living in Los Angeles, my home was gone and I would be back living with Ma, my brothers Hughie and Gerald and sister Carolyn. But that was a bonus for me and I welcomed it. Now it was time for a whole new start. Bring it on.
Chapter Twenty-three
My brother Hughie and his pal Aidie Lewis picked me up at the gate for my three-day home leave on licence. As I stepped out to meet them I could at last, finally believe that I was going home. We all hugged and jumped into Aidie’s motor where a nice wee surprise awaited me. On the seat was a large cardboard box and Hughie told me to look inside as it was a coming-home present for me. A bottle of Smirnoff vodka, a bottle of Remy Martin brandy and a bottle of Gordons gin with mixers and glasses. There were also bottles of lager and lots of tasty little snacks, cheese (which I love) and a selection of cold meats. Fucking lovely! I poured myself a large measure of gin and Hughie had a vodka.
Stopping at the nearest phone box I made a quick call home to Ma to let her know we were on our way. It was a beautiful summer day. Arriving home at about 11 o’clock that morning I walked up the path and there standing on the doorstep was my wonderful wee ma. I scooped her up in my arms and felt her tears on my cheeks. ‘Oh Jim, you’re home at last, son,’ she said.
‘Aye, Ma, I am and I won’t be leaving you. Now let’s get inside and have a nice cup of tea.’
Ma told me that they had organised a do for me on the Saturday night in the house with all the family and some close friends. She saved the best part till the end, that my old mate from Bristol jail, Chrissie Davis, was coming up from Bournemouth with his wife Carol and would be staying over with us for the weekend. I had grown very close to Chrissie. He had been released from Horfield in April and we had kept in touch by letters.
Chrissie arrived early Saturday afternoon and introduced me to Carol who I had never met, though we did both feel that we knew each other really well as Chrissie had told each of us all about the other. She was a really lovely girl and we hit it off straight away. The party that night was a great success with plenty of drinking, singing and dancing and lots of laughter. I was in my element and it was just so good to be surrounded by the people I loved and who loved me in return.
Sunday was spent making the rounds and visiting a few old friends. The one disappointment for me was that John Renaldi was not on the scene. He had returned to Thatcham after being released from jail serving a six-year sentence. John had been staying with his mum but had told Hughie that he was finding it very hard to settle and decided to head back to Islington in London. John’s marriage to Pauline had fallen apart while he was away and I guess he was just finding it tough to readjust.
The weekend passed in a flash and before I knew it, it was time to return to Long Lartin. The compensation was that I knew that it would only be for another couple of weeks. Big Jimmy McGoldrick actually had tears in his eyes as we said our goodbyes. ‘I am really gonnae miss you, wee man,’ he said. Probably realising he had let his guard down he added, ‘Just make sure you don’t come back or I’ll fucking stab you tae fuck.’
Jimmy Jeffries and all the London fellas wished me well and told me to stay in touch. They were a terrific bunch of guys and I had learned so much from them, not just about the art of bank robbery but about the way you should conduct yourself.
On my last night Martin Brady and the rest of the Irish boys threw a party for me with plenty of Martin’s best hooch. I had to be helped back to my cell at locking up time and I know that I had gotten quite emotional. The next morning, 18 August 1980, I walked through the gates of Long Lartin for the last time.
I was on parole until the following March and I was confident that I would see it out without any problems. My brother-in-law James had sorted out a job for me working with the concrete squad building the bridges along the new Winchester bypass. The hours were long and the work was hard but I enjoyed it and I knew most of the guys on the site. Most of all, the money was good and as I was practically potless when I came out of jail it was important that I got earning straight away.
The one dark cloud hanging over me was that I no longer had my boy James and I knew that I had very little prospect of seeing him in the near future. All I could do was to try to suppress this aching and put it away in the empty space that was still my constant companion deep inside of me.
Otherwise, everything w
as going well. I was happy living at Ma’s, the weekends were for partying and I made up for lost time with a few of the ladies. None of these liaisons were either serious or long-lasting, but they were fun and it had been a long time since I had been able to play it fast and loose with the females.
In early November I had made arrangements visit an old friend, Jane Butler, who had given birth to a baby boy in Newbury maternity hospital. I travelled by bus and had a drink with a couple of guys before leaving to go to the hospital. After the visit I phoned home to tell Ma I would be home in about an hour. Nothing could have prepared me for what she said. ‘Jim – thank God it’s you. Listen, don’t come home and keep out the way. The polis are here team-handed and they are looking for you.’
‘What for, Ma?’
‘I don’t know, son, but it is serious. There are a dozen of them, uniformed and CID and the guy in charge is a big Scots guy, a CID sergeant and he is a right bastard.’
I knew straight away who she meant and she wasn’t wrong. I had had dealings in the past with this guy and he hated me and the feeling was mutual. ‘Right, Ma, don’t worry. I’ll lie low and phone you at 10 o’clock tonight. In the meantime we need to try and find out what the story is. I’m sorry, Ma – the last thing I wanted was any trouble at your door.’
‘Don’t be daft, son – you’ve no’ caused any bother. Just make sure you keep out of the way.’
There was no point in speculating why the cops were looking for me. For the moment the important thing was to keep out of the way as Ma had said, at least until I could get a handle on this. I phoned Aidie Lewis and told him to pick up my brother Hughie and to meet me later. Hughie quickly told me exactly what had happened. ‘They went right through the house, turning everything upside down. He kept saying to Ma, “You know where he is, so you had better tell me or you’ll be coming back to the station with us.” Ma got tore right into him, saying that he could take her back was them if they wanted but that she wouldn’t tell them where you were even if she knew. Whatever this is about, Jim, it is serious and that Scottish bastard is determined to do you.’
I knew that the best course of action was for me to disappear until we knew what the score was. Using the public phone inside the hospital I phoned my old mate Chrissie Davis and quickly explained the situation. Without any hesitation he said, ‘Right, Jim, get yourself down here a bit lively. You can stay with me and Carol and we will get you sorted.’ What can you say about friendship and loyalty like that? Aidie said that he would drive me down to Bournemouth and Hughie was coming too and handed me some money that Ma had given him for me.
Why run away if you have not done anything? This is usually asked by people who have never been in any kind of trouble with the law. It should be remembered that this occurred in the days before taped interviews and that alleged verbal admissions were still admissible in court. I would have been a mug to serve myself up on a plate for them. I had only been at liberty for three months and I was in no hurry to give a repeat performance.
We arrived in Bournemouth at about 10.30 that Thursday evening and made our way to Chrissie’s. He gave me a hug and said, ‘Welcome to our little home.’ Carol was in the living room and had already had some drinks poured and waiting for us.
‘Hi, Jim,’ she said. ‘Lovely to see you again. Make yourself at home. The three of you can crash here tonight and you can stay as long as you like.’
Both Hughie and myself filled Chrissie in and after he had taken a few minutes to think things through he said, ‘I agree with you, Jim. Until we can find out exactly why the old bill are looking for you, it is best to keep a low profile and just make sure you are safe. You will be OK down here in Bournemouth. If anyone asks I’ll just say you’re my jock cousin down here looking for work. Right, that’s sorted. Now let’s all have a drink.’
I was concerned by these events but it has always been my policy not to waste any time worrying over things that you do not have any control over. I knew that before long I would know what this was all about and I would take it from there.
Chapter Twenty-four
It didn’t take me too long to find out why the law were so keen to arrest me. On Saturday afternoon I called an old pal of mine back in Newbury who always had his finger on the pulse of anything to do with villainy. Steve Garroway was a real thorn in the side of the law.
I had known Steve for years and had been involved in a few escapades with him. He was a big lump, over 6ft and powerfully built and he could have a row. His speciality was smashing up pubs to persuade them they needed a bit of protection and knocking out coppers and anyone else who incurred his wrath. But he could also be a very funny guy and his loyalty was without question, and I had a real soft spot for him.
Steve was able to tell me that on the previous Thursday at just about 5.30 a lone gunman had robbed a delivery to the Midland Bank in Newbury. The word on the street was that the coppers were saying it was down to me. The heavy team had crashed through his front door at six o’clock that very morning looking for me and they were led by the big Scottish DS.
‘Listen, Jimmy,’ Steve said. ‘For fuck’s sake stay away and don’t let that slag get hold of you. He’s gonna do you for this. He said to me, “Tell your wee pal Jimmy I am going to make sure he gets at least a ten stretch this time.” If you need anything doing at this end just let me know. I’ll make sure your mum knows you are OK and I’ll look out for her.’ Steve was aware of how close me and my wee ma were and it was a really nice touch. I had been close to Steve’s own mother Phyllis and had looked out for her when Steve had been away.
This news was a body blow. I knew that I now had very few options. Handing myself in was a non-starter as I was on parole licence and would almost certainly be in breach of the conditions, which would mean an immediate return to Long Lartin. I would now have to go on the run. I also knew how hard this was going to be for Ma and this bothered me more than anything else. The cops had been back twice more to her house but she was made of strong stuff, my wee ma, and had told them they could come back every day if they liked but they wouldn’t find me hiding under her bed. She even said to Sergeant Bastard, ‘If you bumped into my Jim and you were on your own, you would shite your trousers and run away, wouldn’t you?’ She was some wee woman, my ma.
Hughie told me he would return after he finished work and would bring any news and also some money. Hughie was a real rock for me at this time and gave me total and unconditional support. I spent the week familiarising myself with Bournemouth and managed to get a terrific white Mini Cooper to help get about. I immediately sent off the registration papers in the name I was using, John Hall, and the address where I was staying. This covered me if I was ever stopped. I also acquired insurance cover with the same name and address and once I received the new log book I would have genuine ID that, along with the insurance document and a household bill, would allow me to open a bank account. I also had contacts that could furnish me with a driving licence and a national health card. I knew that I would be able to stand a police stop and check.
After the Christmas holidays I came to the decision to return to Scotland, to East Kilbride, where I would move in with Olive and her new partner Dennis. Olive asked me if I would be her driver as her work entailed her driving all over Scotland as a merchandiser for a large drinks company. I was more than happy to repay her, in some small measure, for everything she was doing for me. The fact that I was now on the run from some very serious allegations should not be underestimated when considering how much Olive and the rest of the family put themselves at risk to protect me. It is because of this kind of loyalty and the love that they have always shown me that I am so protective of all of them. I owe each and every one of them so much.
I had a last night with Chrissie and Carol and a couple of the Scousers and we made it a really good night. I was so grateful to Chrissie for all the help he had given me. He said, ‘Now don’t be a stranger, Jim. You know that there is always a place here for you. Keep
in touch and let me know if there is anything you need. And if there is anything that comes up in your line of work I’ll give you a bell.’
This wasn’t something I took lightly, but if I am honest the thought of going back to my old line of work was something that I relished. I had to be very careful if I wanted to stay one step ahead of the law. The name of the game for me now was to be low profile and live quietly. Neither the local old bill or any of the residents of East Kilbride knew who I was and that was an advantage I intended to retain. But would I be able to settle in East Kilbride? It was a whole new ball game for me and for the moment I was the only player. Instinctively, I knew that I would find my feet and that opportunities would come my way. It is what had always happened in the past and I had no reason to doubt it would be business as usual before too long. I just had to be patient and vigilant.
In late January 1981 Olive gave birth to a baby boy named Craig. Both Olive and her partner Dennis were overjoyed and it was a really happy home that I had settled into. Olive returned to work on a part-time basis with me as her driver and we spent many happy days driving all over Scotland.
Meanwhile, Ma had arranged a house swap with a family from East Kilbride and two months later she, Hughie, Gerald and Carolyn moved into a lovely three-bedroom house in the Greenhills area of East Kilbride, just around the corner from both Sheena and Olive. I moved back in with Ma and at last we were all together again as a family.
Chapter Twenty-five
My brother Hughie was working with the construction company Sir Robert McAlpine and in August 1981 I started working alongside him, doing mostly concreting. It was under my new ID as I was still on the wanted list but it went smoothly enough and before I realised it almost a year had passed. It was good to be bringing home some wages for Ma.