Paul Massey (gangster) explained

Paul Massey
Birth Date:1960 1, df=y
Birth Place:Ordsall, Salford, England
Death Place:Manchester Road, Clifton, Greater Manchester, England
Death Cause:Gunshot wound
Nationality:British
Children:5
Conviction Penalty:14 years 9 months
(served 8 years)
Conviction Status:Deceased
Imprisoned:HM Prison Frankland

Paul Massey (7 January 1960 – 26 July 2015) was an English organised crime figure and Salford-based businessman. He was shot dead outside his home by Mark Fellows on 26 July 2015.[1]

Early life

Massey was born on 7 January 1960 in Ordsall, Salford, England.[2] He was one of six children of Rose Massey and John Massey.[3] When Massey was 12, he was arrested for criminal damage and sent to approved school.[4]

Criminal career

In the 1990s, Massey established several security companies. Through these businesses, Damian Noonan, he and his gang were able to control the doors of several Manchester-area nightclubs.

In 1999, Massey was sentenced to 14 years in prison for stabbing a man in the groin.[5]

Several media outlets reported that Massey served as an important mediator between rival organised crime firms in Greater Manchester.[6] [7]

At the time of his death, the regional organised crime squad was investigating Massey over allegations of money-laundering.[8] [9]

Mayoral campaign

In 2012, following his 2007 release from Frankland Prison, Massey announced he was running for mayor of Salford.[10] He finished seventh out of ten candidates.

Death

On 26 July 2015, Massey was shot dead outside his home on Manchester Road, Clifton, by a lone gunman. Mark Fellows, the killer, was reported to have been wearing military style fatigues and carried a weapon "similar to a sub machine gun".[11] Greater Manchester Police offered a £50,000 reward for information pertaining to the killing.[12]

Aftermath

Authorities in the Manchester area feared an escalation in gang violence related to Massey's death. Manchester police believe that the shooting of a 29-year-old woman and her seven-year-old son was linked to retribution for the Massey killing.[13] From January–December 2015, there were 19 shootings in Salford.[14]

Arrest and conviction

On 1 June 2018, Fellows was charged with Massey's murder and also that of Massey's close friend, Liverpool gangster John Kinsella.[15] [16] Fellows was subsequently convicted and sentenced to a whole life order.[17] Conspirators used PGP-equipped BlackBerry phones to co-ordinate the murder.[18]

Personal

Massey had five children and eight grandchildren at the time of his death.[19] Massey was given the nickname "Mr Big" by city councillor Joe Burrows during a meeting in 1992 held to address ongoing civil disturbances in Salford.[20]

External links

BBC Sounds Gangster: The Story Of Paul Massey

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Paul Massey Murde . BBC . 16 December 2015.
  2. Web site: As Salford buries its Mr Big, his gang want revenge and the turf wars grow . The Guardian . 26 November 2015.
  3. Web site: Paul Massey funeral: Armed police on stand-by as gangland figures expected to pay respects to Salford 'Mr Big' . Manchester Evening News . 25 August 2015.
  4. Web site: Paul Massey death: Who was Salford's Mr Big? . BBC . 27 July 2015.
  5. Web site: Who Was 'Salford's Mr Big' Paul Massey? . https://web.archive.org/web/20150730015302/http://news.sky.com/story/1525858/who-was-salfords-mr-big-paul-massey. 30 July 2015. Sky News . 27 July 2015. dead.
  6. Web site: Who is Paul Massey? . Manchester Evening News . 8 October 2010.
  7. Web site: Paul Massey shooting: Salford's 'Mr Big' may have been targeted for mediating between rival gangs . International Business Times . 28 July 2015.
  8. News: Paul Massey's death and Salford's escalating gang feud . BBC News . 13 October 2015 . 2015-12-18 .
  9. Web site: Salford mayor candidate Paul Massey 'not a criminal' . BBC . 13 April 2012.
  10. Web site: Man jailed for 14 years for stabbing man is now standing for Salford mayor. Telegraph.co.uk. 2015-12-18.
  11. News: Paul Massey murder: 'Mr Big' case detectives offer £50k reward - BBC News. BBC News . 13 October 2015 . 2015-12-18. en-GB.
  12. News: Paul Massey murder: police offer £50,000 reward for information. The Guardian. 2015-12-18. Josh. Halliday. 26 November 2015 .
  13. News: Salford boy and mother shooting 'linked to gang feuds' - BBC News. BBC News . 13 October 2015 . 2015-12-18. en-GB.
  14. News: Bad blood. The Economist. 2015-12-18. 0013-0613.
  15. Web site: Perraudin. Frances. 1 June 2018. Man charged over John Kinsella gangland murder in Merseyside. 2018-06-01. The Guardian.
  16. News: 1 June 2018. Murder charges over gangland deaths. BBC News. 2018-06-01.
  17. Web site: Scheerhout . John . 2019-06-05 . Paul Massey murderer Mark Fellows 'whole life' sentence appeal Dismissed . 2020-07-03 . Manchester Evening News.
  18. Web site: Scheerhout. John. 9 July 2020. The 'secret server' used in killing of John Kinsella and what it says about guns. Manchester Evening News.
  19. Web site: Docking. Neil. 2019-01-14. Paul Massey in the words of those who loved him most. 2020-12-29. Liverpool Echo. en.
  20. News: 2015-07-27. Paul Massey murder: 'Mr Big' shot dead by masked gunman. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-12-29.