Paul Ferris, the former Glasgow gangster turned author, remains one of the most recognisable figures in Scottish true crime. His life has been marked by chaos, violence, and crime, from enforcing for crime lord Arthur Thompson to a bitter feud with rival Tam McGraw. Here are his most shocking moments.
Early Revenge Knife Attacks
Growing up in Glasgow's Blackhill estate, Ferris endured years of bullying by the Welsh family. In his late teens, he retaliated with a series of calculated knife attacks, leading to his arrest at age 17 and his first stint in a Young Offenders Institution. This violence shifted his reputation and drew the attention of Glasgow's underworld.
Becoming the 'Robot' Enforcer
By age 19, Ferris was recruited as a debt collector and enforcer for Arthur Thompson, known as 'The Godfather'. His cold-blooded precision earned him the nickname 'The Robot'. He carried out violent tasks for the Thompson family, who had links to London's Kray twins.
The Murder of Arthur 'Fat Boy' Thompson Jr
In the late 1980s, Ferris felt betrayed by the Thompsons. On 17 August 1991, Arthur Thompson Jr was shot dead outside his father's home. Ferris was the prime suspect but was found not guilty in 1992 after Scotland's longest murder trial. The case remains unsolved.
The MI5 Gun-Running Bust
In 1997, a two-year MI5 and Special Branch surveillance operation led to Ferris's arrest in London. He was caught transporting submachine guns, Uzi magazines, silencers, and ammunition hidden in an Opal Fruits sweet box. MI5 tracked him via a tapped mobile phone. Ferris became the first gangster targeted by MI5, normally focused on national security threats. He received a ten-year sentence at the Old Bailey.
Feud with Tam McGraw
The feud between Ferris and Tam 'The Licensee' McGraw was a toxic power struggle. Initially allies under Thompson, they became bitter rivals after Ferris believed McGraw was a police informant. While in prison in the late 1990s, Ferris wrote an autobiography publicly naming McGraw as a 'grass' and warning him to 'fear the onslaught that will follow.' In May 2002, a knife fight left both men injured. Ferris's parole was revoked after a meeting caught on police surveillance, and McGraw fled to Ireland and Spain.
