Mourners gathered in Glasgow for the funeral of notorious gangster and author Paul Ferris, whose final farewell took place at the same crematorium where underworld rival Tam McGraw was laid to rest nearly two decades ago.
Ferris’s coffin was brought to Daldowie Crematorium, where McGraw’s funeral was held almost 20 years earlier. The two men had both sustained knife wounds during a confrontation in 2002, after Ferris alleged that McGraw was acting as a police informant.
The former gangland enforcer died aged 62 at Glasgow’s University Hospital on October 6. He leaves behind his wife, Carolyn, and their children, Paul, Dean, Carolyn, William and John-Paul.
His funeral procession featured a hearse decorated with two floral tributes bearing the words “Legend” and “Dad”.
Pallbearers carried the coffin into the crematorium as a lone bagpiper played outside, marking the arrival of the cortege.
The order of service listed a series of songs chosen for the ceremony. Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here was selected for the gathering, while Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ I Won’t Back Down accompanied the coffin’s entrance.
Sir Elton John’s Your Song played during the reflection, followed by Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms for the committal. Pink Floyd’s Coming Back To Life brought the service to a close during the recessional.
Ferris’s turbulent life later became the subject of the 2013 film The Wee Man, in which he was portrayed by Line of Duty actor Martin Compston.
He first attracted widespread public attention in 1992, when he was acquitted of murdering Arthur Thompson Jnr, the son of Glasgow crime figure Arthur Thompson Snr.
The career criminal first came to public attention in 1992 when he was cleared of the murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr, son of Glasgow crime ‘godfather’ Arthur Thompson Snr.
Mourners gathered in Glasgow for the funeral of notorious gangster Paul Ferris.
A floral tribute spelling “LEGEND” was displayed outside Daldowie Crematorium.
Paul Ferris was known as a former gangland enforcer who later became an author.
A bagpiper played as the funeral cortege arrived at the crematorium.
The acquittal followed what was, at the time, the longest criminal trial ever held in Scotland.
In 1998, Ferris faced trial at London’s Old Bailey and was found guilty of conspiring to transfer prohibited weapons, dealing in firearms and possessing explosives.
He received a ten-year prison sentence, which was later cut to seven years following an appeal.
During his imprisonment, Ferris wrote his first book, The Ferris Conspiracy. The story was subsequently adapted into The Wee Man, which won a BAFTA in 2013.
The film followed Ferris’s journey from Glasgow’s tough Blackhill district during the 1970s and 1980s to his role as an enforcer for feared crime boss Arthur Thompson Snr.
Police officers reportedly gave Ferris the nickname “Houdini”, reflecting his reputation for escaping serious criminal charges that investigators had believed were supported by strong evidence.
Following his release from prison in 2002, Ferris insisted he had left crime behind and had become a legitimate businessman with interests in the security and construction sectors.
He also published several books documenting his life and experiences.
Orders of service were handed out for the funeral of Ferris who died aged 62 on October 6
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Photos of Ferris were shown as well as his family’s message of thanks to funeral directors
Mourners bowed their heads as the cortege arrived at Daldowie Crematorium in Glasgow
People attending the funeral are seen leaving after the service inside the crematorium ended
Ferris is seen in 1992 outside the High Court in Glasgow after being cleared of the murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr, son of Glasgow crime ‘godfather’ Arthur Thompson Snr
In an interview with the Daily Record in July, Ferris said he had never been tempted to return to crime despite continued scepticism about his transformation.
He said: ‘I have either been an absolute criminal genius for the last 25 years or I have done nothing wrong. Take your pick.’ Ferris grew up just a few hundred yards from Thompson’s fortified home, known as the Ponderosa.
After leaving school at 16, he worked as a van boy before becoming involved in organised crime.
By the age of 19, he had joined Thompson’s inner circle and developed a fearsome reputation in Glasgow’s underworld.
He was cleared over the shooting of John Hogg in 1984, after Hogg was struck when gunmen targeted his cousin Willie Gibson.
Ferris later fell out with the Thompsons in a bitter split that became one of the defining feuds of Glasgow gangland.
He claimed he had been set up over a drugs bust and said only Thompson Snr and Thompson Jnr knew where he had been travelling at the time.
The feud has long been linked to the 1991 murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr, known as ‘Fat Boy’, who was shot dead outside his father’s home in Provanmill.
Shortly afterwards, Ferris’s associates Bobby Glover, 31, and Joe ‘Bananas’ Hanlon, 23, were found shot dead in a car on the day of Thompson’s funeral.
Ferris was charged with the murder of Thompson Jnr but was acquitted after the landmark High Court trial. No one else has ever been convicted over the killing.
However, he was eventually convicted following Operation Abonar, an undercover investigation involving MI5, Strathclyde Police, Scotland Yard and the South East Regional Crime Squad.
The operation caught Ferris transporting three MAC-10 submachine guns, ammunition, Uzi magazines and silencers to Glasgow in an Opal Fruits box in 1997.
Prosecutors said the weapons were destined for Glasgow’s gangland streets.
Ferris was jailed in London for ten years in 1998, later reduced to seven, and served time in Belmarsh prison.
Although he vowed to go straight after his release, he became embroiled in a feud with rival gangster McGraw.
Their dispute culminated in a violent confrontation in 2002 in which both men suffered knife injuries.
A subsequent meeting involving Ferris was recorded during police surveillance and resulted in his parole being revoked and his return to prison.
Ferris is survived by five children, none of whom he said had become involved in crime.
Ferris’s older brother Billy died in prison last year aged 75 for murdering 15-year-old schoolboy Jason Hutchison in Ayrshire in 2003.