Hundreds of mourners gathered at Daldowie Crematorium in Uddingston near Glasgow on Monday for the funeral of Paul Ferris, with Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair and former world boxing champion Alex Arthur among those in attendance. The 62-year-old former enforcer died on October 6 at University Hospital Ayr, two days after being admitted. Medical documents confirmed his cause of death as multiple organ failure and alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver.
Mourners and Attendees
Johnny Adair, once a feared loyalist figure as leader of the Ulster Defence Association's C company, was seen wearing black sunglasses as he stood outside to greet the hearse. He now lives in Troon, Ayrshire, after a loyalist feud forced him to flee Belfast.
Alex Arthur, the 48-year-old Scottish boxer who won gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and became WBO super featherweight world champion in 2008, also attended. Arthur previously stood as a candidate for Alex Salmond's Alba Party in 2021.
Actor Paul Brannigan, known for roles in Angels' Share and River City, was also present. Brannigan was set to play Ferris in a movie and appeared alongside him in the last public photograph taken of him in June this year, at Molly Malone's pub in Glasgow city centre with Wee Man director Ray Burdis.
Funeral Service Details
Ferris' former wife Carolyn and five children—Paul, Dean, Carolyn, William, and John-Paul—attended, along with his partner Amanda. Floral arrangements spelling "legend" and "dad" were seen inside the funeral car, while sons Paul and Dean served as pallbearers, carrying the coffin to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "I Won't Back Down."
The celebrant, Tony Welsh, led the hour-long service, which paused while photos of Ferris and family were shown to the tune of Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms." Welsh spoke of Ferris' relationships with his children and friends, and pondered whether Ferris had left his criminal past behind in the last 25 years as he promised. He quipped: "As Paul would say, no comment."
Ferris' Criminal Past
Ferris, from Blackhill in Glasgow, was originally an enforcer for crime boss Arthur Thompson Snr, collecting debts. He was tried for the murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr in 1992 but cleared after a 54-day case. Following Thompson Jnr's death, Ferris' associates Joe Hanlon and Bobby Glover were murdered, and Ferris blamed gangland boss Tam McGraw. Before seeking revenge, he was jailed in England in 1998 for gun-running.
After release, Ferris claimed he was going straight in his book "Ferris Conspiracy." In 2002, he was involved in a knife fight with McGraw in Glasgow's east end, leading to his parole being revoked and a return to prison. McGraw died in 2007 and was also laid to rest at Daldowie Crematorium.
Ferris later worked as a consultant for private security firms. His book was adapted into the Bafta-winning film "The Wee Man," starring Martin Compston. He wrote four more books and was planning a sequel to "The Wee Man" and a third movie before his death.
