Meeting a Torturer

To avoid back biting I won’t name the person I’m writing about. 

He is an ex-gangster from the Kray twins’ era.  He’s spent over 40 years in prison for various violent offences, was once charged with murder but a witness changed his testimony and the charges were dropped.  He was a member of the notorious Richardson Gang.

I met him on the tube whilst travelling from Manor House to Kings Cross.  I had read a few autobiographies of infamous East End gangsters, he was mentioned in these books.  But I recognised his face as he has become a bit of a celebrity, appearing in various TV programmes although he wasn’t recognised by anyone else on the tube.  He wore a sharp dark blue suit, what struck me was how small he was, couldn’t be more than 5″3.  But from what I’ve heard and read, in his past he was a brutal henchman for the Richardson gang, notorious for inflicting horrific forms of torture on victims.

But as me and my cousin chatted to him he was very affable, quiet, friendly and appeared slightly embarrassed (but flattered) that he was recognised by us.  Other people on the tube looked bemused, trying to figure out who this old man could be that these two Asian lads were thrilled to meet. 

We chatted about football as the train went past Arsenal (his team), he cracked a few jokes with us before he left to get off.  He shook our hands and sounded genuine when he said it was really nice meeting us.

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Sometime afterwards I watched a documentary about the Kray twins and the Richardson Gang, our friend from the tube was featured in it.  I was shocked to see the things that he was accused of and charged with doing.  Particularly the gruesome torture he was known for.  He came across in the interviews as somewhat cold hearted and unrepentant (he was wearing the same dark blue suit as when we met him; don’t know why I noticed that).  It was hard to imagine this fragile old man could once have been capable of committing these horrendous acts.  Obviously he was a different man when he was a gangster, living in a different world.  It’s not my place to judge him, regardless of what he has done in his past he will have to answer to Allah for that.  May Allah have mercy on him and guide him to the truth, amin.

I can’t believe I shook the hands of someone who tortured and probably killed people.  I regret appearing “thrilled” to meet him, why?  Why do some of us (mostly men) regard people like this as cool?  The John Gotti’s and Pablo Escobar’s of the world are not people that deserve our admiration.  I don’t buy the argument that they only harm other gangsters etc.  Regardless, it is still zhulm, there should be no room in any pure heart for anything that could even resemble respect for criminals.