The Satans Slaves motorcycle gang, founded in the 1970s, was once among the most feared in the UK. Its leather-clad members were notorious for violence, bloodshed, run-ins with the law, and clashes with rival groups such as The Outlaws and Hells Angels.
Violent History and Legal Troubles
Members came from across Scotland and northern England, linked to crimes throughout the UK. In 1979, a gang member was jailed for wielding a knife and admitting he was the brains behind a £150,000 robbery plot. Around the same time, another Satans Slave was among 11 bikers jailed for a total of 55 years after a battle with the Hells Angels in Berkshire.
The Fife division, to which convicted paedophile George Ritchie belonged, was started by several young riders said to have frequented Maggie's club in Dunfermline. Ritchie, who posed for photos in his Satans Slaves leathers while performing a Nazi salute, is one of many members who ended up behind bars.
Notable Crimes and Convictions
Ritchie was jailed for eight years in 2014 for historic sexual offences. One of his victims was just six years old when he indecently assaulted her while wearing his leather uniform, blackmailing her into silence. Nearly four decades later, she found the courage to report his crimes. He had previously been jailed for nine months in 1999 for indecently assaulting a 15-year-old boy.
In 2007, George Kerr, a henchman of convicted gunrunner Paul Ferris, was the target of an attempted hit by two gang members in Dundee; he escaped injury. In December 2010, members were linked to a serious assault on a young man and his girlfriend in a pub in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Recent Incidents and Sentencing
In 2011, police in Tayside investigated claims that 4,000 bikers were heading to Scotland for a battle between The Scottish Blue Angels and Satans Slaves. In 2023, gang member Barry Smith was locked up for attempting to murder a fellow biker by the roadside. Smith drove his van into a motorcycle ridden by Andrew Lamb, a member of the Tribe Motorcycle Club, on July 24 2021 in Selkirk, Scottish Borders.
Smith acted as a support driver for a convoy of bikers, meant to help those who broke down or were injured. Witnesses saw Slaves members fight with Tribe members on the road; Smith then drove into Mr Lamb's bike, causing debilitating injuries. A passing motorist filmed Smith in his van, wearing a T-shirt with the slogan SFFS, which the court heard stood for "Slaves Forever Forever Slaves". He was sentenced to eight years and given 10 points on his driving licence.
