Paul Ferris, the former Glasgow gangster who became an author, has died aged 62. According to the Daily Record, he passed away on Tuesday at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) following a short illness.
From crime to writing
Mr Ferris turned his back on a life of crime after serving time as an associate of Arthur “The Godfather” Thompson Sr. He was cleared of the 1991 murder of his former boss’s son, Arthur “Fat Boy” Thompson Jr.
The crime boss, believing Mr Ferris was responsible, “declared war” on him. On the day of his son’s funeral, two of Ferris’s friends, Joe Hanlon and Bobby Glover, were found dead.
Literary and film legacy
After leaving crime behind, Mr Ferris became an author, publishing his debut book, The Ferris Conspiracy, in 2001, co-written with Reg McKay. The film The Wee Man, starring Martin Compston, was released in 2013 and drew heavily from the book.
Reflecting on the film, Mr Ferris said: “It was very humbling (to see the film), I thought it was an emotional rollercoaster. The best way was to be up front and honest about it.
“During the first 15-20 minutes of it when I first saw it in London I felt as though I needed fresh air but I didn’t want to give the wrong impression by standing up, because I was sitting at the front.
“To walk out might have made other people think: ‘Where’s he going?’ Or: ‘What does he not like about the movie?’
“I look back on it and it was trigger mechanisms from my childhood that I’d put to the back of my mind. Watching them unfold on the screen was a bit queasy. I felt like I needed to go for fresh air. I felt claustrophobic. I had that many emotions running through my mind.
“I don’t think I was adequately prepared for it. I was the first guy out the door when it finished.”
Mr Ferris also served a seven-year sentence for gun-running.
