One of Scotland’s most notorious gangsters, whose life story was turned into a film starring Martin Compston, has died aged 62.
Paul Ferris first came to public attention in 1992 when he was cleared at the High Court in Glasgow of the murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr, son of Glasgow crime ‘godfather’ Arthur Thompson Snr, following what was then the longest-running trial in Scottish criminal history.
He later stood trial at the Old Bailey in London in 1998, where he was convicted of conspiracy to transfer prohibited weapons, dealing in firearms and possessing explosives.
Ferris was sentenced to ten years in prison, later reduced to seven on appeal.
While behind bars he wrote his first book, The Ferris Conspiracy, which was later adapted into the 2013 Bafta-winning film The Wee Man, starring Line of Duty actor Martin Compston.
Police officers nicknamed Ferris ‘Houdini’ because of his ability to beat serious criminal charges which investigators believed were watertight.
Following his release from prison in 2001, Ferris insisted he had left crime behind and had become a legitimate businessman with interests in the security and construction sectors.
He also published several books documenting his life and experiences.
In an interview with the Daily Record in July, Ferris said he had never been tempted to return to crime despite continued scepticism about his transformation.
He said: ‘I have either been an absolute criminal genius for the last 25 years or I have done nothing wrong. Take your pick.’
Notorious underworld figure Paul Ferris was a former gangland enforcer and author
Ferris in 1992 outside outside the High Court in Glasgow after being cleared of the murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr, son of Glasgow crime ‘godfather’ Arthur Thompson Snr
Ferris also revealed plans for two follow-up films to The Wee Man and said profits would help pay off a substantial tax bill.
The film charted Ferris’s rise from the tough Blackhill area of Glasgow in the 1970s and 1980s to becoming an enforcer for feared crime boss Arthur Thompson Snr.
A family friend told the Record: ‘This has come as a great shock to everyone who knew Paul over the years. No one was aware that he was unwell.
‘Our sincere condolences go to Paul’s family, friends and loved ones at this extremely difficult time.’
Ferris grew up just a few hundred yards from Thompson’s fortified home, known as the Ponderosa.
After leaving school at 16, he worked as a van boy before becoming involved in organised crime.
By the age of 19 he had joined Thompson’s inner circle and developed a fearsome reputation in Glasgow’s underworld.
He was cleared over the shooting of John Hogg in 1984, after Hogg was struck when gunmen targeted his cousin Willie Gibson.
Ferris later fell out with the Thompsons in a bitter split that became one of the defining feuds of Glasgow gangland.
He claimed he had been set up over a drugs bust and said only Thompson Snr and Thompson Jnr knew where he had been travelling at the time.
The feud has long been linked to the 1991 murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr, known as ‘Fat Boy’, who was shot dead outside his father’s home in Provanmill.
Shortly afterwards, Ferris’s associates Bobby Glover, 31, and Joe ‘Bananas’ Hanlon, 23, were found shot dead in a car on the day of Thompson’s funeral.
Ferris was charged with the murder of Thompson Jnr but was acquitted after the landmark High Court trial. No one else has ever been convicted over the killing.
However, he was eventually convicted following Operation Abonar, an undercover investigation involving MI5, Strathclyde Police, Scotland Yard and the South East Regional Crime Squad.
Line of Duty actor Martin Compston played Paul Ferris in 2013 Bafta-winning film The Wee Man
The operation caught Ferris transporting three MAC-10 sub-machine guns, ammunition, Uzi magazines and silencers to Glasgow in an Opal Fruits box in 1997.
Prosecutors said the weapons were destined for Glasgow’s gangland streets.
Ferris was jailed in London for ten years in 1998, later reduced to seven, and served time in Belmarsh prison.
Although he vowed to go straight after his release, he became embroiled in a feud with rival gangster Tam McGraw.
Their dispute culminated in a violent confrontation in 2002 in which both men suffered knife injuries.
A subsequent meeting involving Ferris was recorded during police surveillance and resulted in his parole being revoked and his return to prison.
During his imprisonment, he began his writing career, publishing books that chronicled his criminal past and gangland experiences.
Interest in his story resurfaced after The Wee Man was released, with a sequel announced earlier this year.
Ferris is survived by five children, none of whom he said had become involved in crime.
Ferris’s older brother Billy died in prison last year aged 75 for murdering 15-year-old schoolboy Jason Hutchison in Ayrshire in 2003.
