Stephen Gillen Wikipedia, Net Worth, Young, Jailed, Wife, Books
Stephen Gillen Wikipedia, Net Worth, Young, Jailed, Wife, Books – A legendary London mobster who spent his first 14 years in prison has expressed his wish to assist today’s children in staying away from a life of crime and violence. Stephen Gillen, 51, underwent a significant metamorphosis after being released from the “darkest and most desperate” of UK jails where he had spent more than ten years in prison.
Before receiving a 17-year prison sentence at the Old Bailey, the former career criminal had been a member of street gangs that terrorised the East End in the 1980s. He shared time with many of the most dangerous offenders of the period throughout his 25 movements as a Category A prisoner, including Charles Bronson, who he got to know personally.
He made the decision to change his life after being released in 2003 and is now committed to assisting others in staying away from a criminal career. His life tale was chosen for a £36 million film, and he is now a well-known book and TV personality. Among his forthcoming ventures is a TV series with boxer Mike Tyson.
In an interview with MyLondon, Stephen shared information of his challenging upbringing in the London neighbourhood of Bethnal Green, which inspired him to pursue a career in organised crime. Following his arrival from Ireland in London, he spent time in a number of children’s homes where he complained about violent staff members and physical abuse that he did his best to hide from the younger kids.
He went to petty criminality as a result of these conditions and was first incarcerated barely two weeks after turning 14. “That was the first time, I only got two months, and I did a month,” he recalled. I had no role models other than the criminal people of the time, who would have all the flashy cars and all the females. I was a really feral child in that way. The presentation of that photograph in its whole was appealing.
Later, after being involved with gangs in the East End, he was sentenced to prison at the age of 16 for stabbing a guy during a gang battle. He was given an 18-month prison term for intentionally causing severe bodily harm under Section 18.
He added during a Zoom discussion, “I was active in street gangs back then, but it was more than that, it was like a surrogate family. “You want to fit in and be accepted because that gives you a sense of security. However, you are being groomed, and the older kids knew what they were doing because they had already gone through it. That’s how it all began: they were sort of utilising you and sending you into harm’s path so they could protect themselves.
He was expelled from two jails before finding HMP Portland, which he compared to “Dracula’s castle,” off the coast of Portsmouth. After completing his sentence, he continued to operate in the criminal underworld and started taking bigger chances.
“I participated in a lot more structured crime back then. It was basically everything involving money, including guns, organised crime, armed robberies, racketeering, extortion, and counterfeiting. Even if we were unaware of it, we were still being groomed at the time because there were numerous elder top criminal leaders. It was really ominous and not a good thing; that was the kind of move into more authentic organised criminality.
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