Tam "The Licensee" McGraw, one of Glasgow's most notorious underworld figures, was said to have built a £30 million fortune from a life of crime spanning nearly four decades. His grandson, Rhys McGraw, 20, was jailed for 30 months earlier this month after being convicted of a knife attack following a jury trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court. The charge alleged that he punched Michael Newman on the head and then struck him repeatedly with a knife on Killermont Street near Buchanan Bus Station. Rhys has lodged an appeal against both sentence and conviction.
Early life and criminal beginnings
McGraw was just 18 when he married childhood sweetheart Margaret at a Glasgow register office in 1971. The couple soon left for London to escape police attention, taking jobs on buses and in factories. During his time in the capital, McGraw reportedly learned how to bypass security alarms and break into safes.
Back in Glasgow, McGraw assembled the notorious Barlanark team, composed of men from the Barlanark housing estate. The gang allegedly carried out post office robberies across Scotland and targeted off-sales, warehouses, and shops, stealing everything from sweets to whisky.
The origin of his nickname
The source of McGraw's nickname "The Licensee" remains unclear. Some believe it came from the Caravel Bar in Barlanark, which he and Margaret ran for over a decade before it closed in 1996. Others claim it referred to allegations that he had a "licence" from police to commit crime in exchange for information on other criminals. Throughout his career, McGraw rarely stood trial, and when he did, charges were often dropped or he was cleared.
Involvement in the Ice Cream Wars
By the early 1980s, McGraw moved into Glasgow's lucrative ice cream van trade, becoming embroiled in the infamous Ice Cream Wars. The violent dispute involved assaults, shootings, and vehicle vandalism, culminating in 1984 when six members of the Doyle family died after their home in Ruchazie was set ablaze. The intended target was 18-year-old Andrew Doyle, who had resisted attempts to take over his run. Former Barlanark team member Thomas "TC" Campbell and Joe Steele were convicted and jailed for life, but both were cleared by the appeal court in 2004 after nearly 20 years in prison. McGraw was questioned but never stood trial for the murders.
Rise in drugs trade and wealth
Around this time, McGraw became involved in Glasgow's growing drugs trade. Following the death of Arthur Thompson Snr in 1993, he was widely reported to have become the city's leading underworld figure. In 1998, he was cleared of drugs importation charges after a 55-day trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. By the early 2000s, McGraw had transformed himself into one of Glasgow's wealthiest businessmen, with interests in security firms, taxi companies, and property in Scotland, Ireland, and Spain, amassing an estimated £30 million fortune.
Later years and death
Between 2002 and 2003, two of McGraw's closest associates, Gordon Ross and Billy McPhee, were murdered. McGraw's reign ended in July 2007 when he collapsed at his home in Mount Vernon and died of a heart attack at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, aged 55. His brother Francis was murdered in 2013, and his son William McGraw's body was found at his flat in Uddingston the same year, with no suspicious circumstances. In 2013, McGraw was portrayed by John Hannah in the film The Wee Man about Glasgow gangster Paul Ferris. His widow Margaret, known as "The Jeweller" for her love of jewellery, sold his taxi firm interests for £1.4 million and died of cancer in 2018.
