James McIntyre, the former gangland lawyer who represented Paul Ferris, has said he was stunned by his death, although he had heard that Ferris had been unwell for some time.
McIntyre had been trying to get hold of Ferris for several weeks before his death, but without success. The 70-year-old said: "I tried to phone him and left several messages."
Unwell for some time
About a month ago, a very good pal from that life contacted him and said Ferris was really ill. He was a heavy smoker but did not drink much. News of his death came as a great shock.
McIntyre added: "Paul and I were planning to do a book together about our different backgrounds. His old man was a bank robber and mine was a doctor who became a chief medical officer."
Career representing underworld figures
During a 30-year career, McIntyre represented some of Scotland's most high-profile underworld figures, including the McGoverns - six brothers known as the McGovernment because of the control they allegedly had over Glasgow's Springburn area.
In 1997, McIntyre received a three-year sentence at the High Court in Glasgow for a firearms find at his home in Linlithgow, West Lothian, which marked the end of his legal career. He then became a successful writer for TV shows such as EastEnders, Taggart and River City.
Memories of Paul Ferris
In 2023, McIntyre brought out his best-selling autobiography, Jimmy Two Guns, the Life and Crimes of a Gangland Lawyer, with Ferris writing the foreword. He said: "I first met Paul in the mid 1980's when he was in Shotts Prison and he had asked to see me about a case he had. We hit it off immediately."
"Paul was always laughing and joking and kidding me on. He was good fun to be with and good company. He would never talk about violence or offer to sort somebody out and didn't look like a gangster."
"You would never guess who he was. He had very boyish looks and looked more like a schoolboy in his anorak, trousers and pullover. Paul wasn't somebody who mugged old ladies or broke into people's houses."
"He was a person who collected money for Arthur Thompson for debts due by other villains."
