Former crime boss Paul Ferris was laid to rest at Daldowie Crematorium on Monday, October 19. The 62-year-old died on Tuesday, October 6, at University Hospital Ayr after being admitted two days earlier. Medical documents listed multiple organ failure and alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver as the cause of death.
Mourners gather at crematorium
Pictures taken on Monday morning showed the coffin arriving at the crematorium, with mourners dressed in black as it was carried from the hearse. Ferris, from Blackhill in Glasgow, leaves behind wife Carolyn and five children: Paul, Dean, Carolyn, William and John-Paul.
Ferris was originally a feared enforcer for Glasgow crime boss Arthur Thompson Snr, collecting debts on his behalf. He was put on trial in 1992 accused of murdering Arthur Thompson Jnr, who had been shot dead outside his home in Provanmill, Glasgow, while on weekend leave from prison. Ferris was cleared after a 54-day case.
Feud and imprisonment
Following Thompson Jnr's death, Ferris' associates Joe Hanlon and Bobby Glover were murdered. Ferris blamed gangland boss Tam McGraw but was jailed in England in 1998 for gun-running before he could take revenge.
After his release, he said he was going straight in his book, Ferris Conspiracy. In 2002, he became embroiled in a violent knife fight with McGraw in the east end of Glasgow; both men sustained injuries, and Ferris was sent back to prison after his parole was revoked.
Later life and legacy
McGraw died in 2007 and was also laid to rest at Daldowie Crematorium. Ferris later insisted he had left crime behind and worked as a consultant for private security firms. His book was turned into the Bafta-winning movie The Wee Man, starring Martin Compston as Ferris. He penned four more books and had been planning a sequel to The Wee Man and a third movie before his death.
