PARKHURST PRISONERS: RONNIE & REGGIE – THE LAST OF THE FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL PLAYBOYS

Island Echo begins its series on Parkhurst prisoners by examining the story of the Kray twins who spent much of their time behind bars here on the Isle of Wight.

Reginald and Ronnie Kray are the 2 most celebrated and notorious gangsters in British history. They were probably the closest our country ever came to having underworld figures of similar stature, influence and wealth as the American mafia. Such is their notoriety that their lives have been immortalized in 2 blockbuster films – The Krays (1990) and Legend (2015) – as well as a best-selling biography The Profession of Violence (1972) and a hit record by Morrissey The Last of the International Playboys.

The Kray Twins were born in Haggerston in Hackney, East London on 24th October 1933. Both were keen amateur boxers in their youth with wily Reg the more skilful of the pair, ending his career undefeated. After being dishonourably discharged from the army, Reginald and Ronnie went on to become nightclub owners and celebrity gangsters of the 1960s Swinging London scene.

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The twins were both sentenced to life imprisonment – with a recommendation that they serve at least 30 years – in March 1969, following a sensational trial at the Old Bailey for the murders of 2 fellow East End villains, Jack ‘the Hat’ McVitie and George Cornell.

Below: The Last of the Famous International Playboys (Morrissey) with excerpts from the film Legend

An ironic anecdote associated with the killing of Cornell was the fact that the song The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore by the Walker Brothers was being played at the very moment Ron Kray pulled the trigger. A stray bullet hit the jukebox causing the needle to get stuck and continuously repeat the line as Cornell lay fatally wounded.

The status and fearsome reputation of the Krays in the East End resulted in no one present in the pub at the time being able to recall anything at all about Cornell’s assailant. However, once the violent twins and their associates had been remanded in police custody, the barmaid (having been given a new identity outside the East End) was willing to provide the crucial evidence that Ronald was the killer at the trial.

The Krays are said to have had further victims, including ‘Mad Axeman’ Frank Mitchell and a further underworld figure and author ‘Mad’ Teddy Smith. The bodies of those who crossed them are said either to have been encased in concrete in the foundations of motorway bridges or to have been dumped in the English Channel by fishermen.

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So, what happened to the Krays once they had been sent down? They spent much of their time at Parkhurst prison here on the Isle of Wight, where, by all accounts, they ruled the roost and continued to control a business empire outside the prison gates.

Below: Ronnie and Reggie interviewed on television in the 1960s after being found not guilty in an earlier trial

On being convicted of murder at the Old Bailey, Reginald refused a blanket over his head to protect his identity from photographers and was escorted to a Jaguar which took him first to Southampton, from where he boarded a Red Funnel ferry on his way to Britain’s Alcatraz – Parkhurst Prison. Here, he was housed in the Special Security Block, together with the Great Train Robbers, rival Gangster Eddie Richardson and others considered too dangerous to be housed with run-of-the-mill prisoners.

Ronald was taken to Durham prison, where he was frequently in trouble for attacking fellow inmates and prison officers. After a campaign by the twins’ mother Violet, he was moved to Parkhurst to be with his brother. Both were placed in ‘C’ block – the prison’s psychiatric wing and given heavy medication.

During their time at Parkhurst the Krays undertook some lessons, including in tailoring. But they didn’t actually do any work… in return for a good report they ensured no trouble would kick off during the lesson, resulting in an easier life for the teacher. No one wanted to mess with the Krays.

Ron had escaped from a secure mental hospital while incarcerated before. In 1958, he had been visited in hospital by Reggie, who was at liberty at the time. Reggie had entered wearing a coat, which he then swapped with Ronald. Ron then left the building wearing Reggie’s coat, leaving his twin in his place. When Reggie asked to leave himself, he could not be kept in Ron’s place. He claimed that he had fallen asleep, and that when he had woken up, his brother had disappeared.

But Ronnie didn’t like Parkhurst. In an attempt to be moved to a secure mental hospital he stopped taking his medication, became more violent as a result, and was dispatched to Broadmoor in 1979. There, he could wear his own clothes, have his own furnishings and do more or less as he pleased.

Left alone in Parkhurst, Reg found himself only 2 cell doors away from rival gang leader Charlie Richardson. Ronald sent a message to his brother that Charlie should be eliminated. Fortunately, other prisoners made peace between the pair in a way that neither would lose face: their rivalry would be settled with a ‘straightener’ on release.

Now freed from the influence of his psychotic twin brother Ronald, Reg – the more astute and business-minded of the pair – took to making money while incarcerated. The film the Krays earned the twins £250,000. Their company Krayleigh Enterprises – fronted by their older brother Charlie – offered security for visiting Hollywood stars. Frank Sinatra hired 18 bodyguards from their enterprise when he visited London.

Both Reginald in Parkhurst and his mad brother Ronnie in Broadmoor cultivated friendships with the celebrities of the day. They were visited by (among others) legendary actor Richard Burton, actress Diana Dors, singers Roger Daltrey (from the Who) and Debbie Harry (Blondie) – who will be on the Isle of Wight for next year’s festival.

Reg also made thousands of pounds for charity. When he heard a TVS report about a father raising money for a hospital that had provided his daughter with a liver transplant, he sent a selection of prisoners’ paintings to be auctioned in aid of the cause, contributing a considerable sum.

The twins hadn’t entirely turned their backs on villainy in later life. They despised ‘slags’, by which they meant violent offenders who had harmed women and children. Violent retribution on such offenders as Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and the Moors murderer Ian Brady were believed to have been carried out at the twins’ behest.

Ronald Kray died in Broadmoor on 17th March 1995, aged 61. Reginald – who had become a born-again Christian and was a much-changed man – died in Norwich on 1st October 2000, having been released a month earlier on compassionate grounds. He spent his final few weeks with his 2nd wife, Roberta, whom he had married in prison in 1997.

The Kray’s older brother Charlie died at St Mary’s hospital here on the Isle of Wight, 6 months before the death of Reginald. He had been serving a 12-year term of imprisonment at Parkhurst.

What are the feelings of Island Echo readers towards the Kray twins? Were they a pair of Cockney Robin Hoods, taking from the rich to give to the poor? It is probably fair to suggest that they only ever hurt fellow members of the London underworld – anyone foolhardy enough to attempt to play ‘King of the Castle’ with the psychotic Ronald Kray.

Or were they simply a pair of mindless, murderous thugs?

Please feel free to voice your opinion in the comments section below…