| Revision as of 23:59, 9 August 2017 editKaiketsu (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users58,387 edits →Career as informant: italics← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 17:16, 6 October 2024 edit undoRoastedbeanz1 (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users26,689 edits Changing short description from "British supergrass" to "British supergrass (born 1957)"Tag: Shortdesc helper | ||
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| {{Short description|British supergrass (born 1957)}} | |||
| {{EngvarB|date=June 2017}} | {{EngvarB|date=June 2017}} | ||
| {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}} | ||
| {{For|the Australian mayor|Mick Michael}} | {{For|the Australian mayor|Mick Michael}} | ||
| '''Michael Michael''' (born 12 November 1957 |
'''Michael Michael''' (born 12 November 1957)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://search.findmypast.co.uk/results/world-records/england-and-wales-births-1837-2006?lastname=+michael&eventyear=1957&eventyear_offset=0&mothersmaidenname=+%09konstondinou+|title=findmypast.co.uk|website=search.findmypast.co.uk}}</ref> is the ex-boss of a criminal empire called the Organisation which was involved in drug smuggling, prostitution and money laundering. Following his arrest, Michael turned ]/police informer, with his evidence leading to 34 people being jailed for a combined 170 years, and the dismantling of 26 different ].<ref name=autogenerated1/> | ||
| ⚫ | Among people he informed on were his wife Lynn, given a 24-month prison sentence suspended for two years for her role as a cash ]; and Janice Marlborough, his business lieutenant who ran his string of ]s. Michael's evidence led to drugs worth £49m being recovered from a distribution network that is thought to have smuggled more than 110 kg (250lb) of ] and 19 tonnes of ] into Britain.<ref name=autogenerated1/><ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1365696/Supergrass-is-jailed-over-132m-drugs-ring.html|title='Supergrass' is jailed over £132m drugs ring|first=By John Steele, Crime|last=Correspondent|publisher=}}</ref> | ||
| ==Career as informant== | |||
| ⚫ | Among people he informed on were his wife Lynn, given a 24-month prison sentence suspended for two years for her role as a cash ] |
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| Information about Michael's work as an informer |
Information about Michael's work as an informer remained secret until December 2001, when a judge at ] sentenced him to six years in jail. Reporting restrictions that had been in place for three years were lifted.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/dec/19/drugsandalcohol.nickhopkins | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Nick | last=Hopkins | title=Gangster supergrass jailed | date=19 December 2001}}</ref><ref name="auto"/> Michael had admitted one count of ] to import cocaine, a similar charge involving cannabis, and three conspiracies to launder the proceeds. He has also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Michael, who lived in ], Hertfordshire, is thought to have been given a new identity under the terms of the ].<ref name=autogenerated1 /> | ||
| Born into a Greek-Cypriot family in ] in the English Midlands, Michael's birth name was Constantine Michael Michael, but he decided to drop the use of the forename Constantine in adulthood. | |||
| Michael, a former hairdresser and unqualified accountant, became a target for customs detectives in January 1998 when the agency launched ]. He had been identified as a member of a drug ring based at the Lee industrial estate in ], Hertfordshire, that was smuggling cannabis and cocaine into the country in cars, a coach (nicknamed the Fun Bus) and a ]. When officers arrested him four months later, on 25 April, Michael was wearing ] and brandished a gun. ] heard that Michael alleged he was paying his handler up to £10,000 a week in return for providing information "of great value" to Michael's operation. He claimed the officer turned a blind eye to the smuggling. Also jailed was trusted associates Janice Marlborough and Tracey Kirby, a former '']'' ] model, received three years after admitting being a money courier. She has since been released.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-90696/Supergrass-shopped-34-crooks---mother.html | location=London | work=Daily Mail | first1=Stephen | last1=Wright | first2=Graham | last2=Keeley | title=Supergrass shopped 34 crooks – even his mother}}</ref> | |||
| ===Murder of Charlie Wilson=== | |||
| In 1990, the former treasurer of the ] ] had moved to ], Spain, where he was suspected to be involved in drug smuggling.<ref name=Wensley>{{cite book|title=Killing Charlie: The Bloody, Bullet-Riddled Hunt for the Most Powerful Great Train Robber of All|author=Wensley Clarkson|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|date=2 February 2006|ISBN=1845960351}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://algarvedailynews.com/features/history/4416-the-great-train-robbery-part-ii-did-it-end-like-a-childrens-tea-party|title=The Great Train Robbery Part II – Did it end like a Children's Tea Party?|author=Jack Harvey|publisher=algarvedailynews.com|accessdate=28 February 2013}}</ref> Engaged to launder some of the proceeds from the ], he lost the investors £3million. On 23 April 1990,<ref name=HistoryCh>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/great-train-robber-escapes-from-prison|title=Great train robber escapes from Prison|publisher=History Channel|date=12 August 1964|accessdate=28 February 2013}}</ref> a young British man knocked on the front door of his ] north of Marbella and shot Wilson and his pet ] dog before riding off down the hill on a yellow bicycle. Over the next three years, four more shootings were connected to the Brink's-Mat raid.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2139945/Brinks-Mat-An-ex-cop-axe-head--Great-Train-Robber-shot-dead-Marbella.html|title=The curse of Brink's Mat: An ex-cop with an axe in his head – and a Great Train Robber shot dead in Marbella|author=Wensley Clarkson|work=]|date=5 May 2012|accessdate=28 February 2013|location=London}}</ref> In 2007, Michael Michael claimed to know who the killer of Wilson was, but police made no arrest.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/144139/Rat-shopped-wife-mother-brother-and-lover.html|title=Rat shopped wife, mother, brother and lover|work=]|date=3 August 2007|accessdate=28 February 2013|location=London}}</ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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Latest revision as of 17:16, 6 October 2024
British supergrass (born 1957)For the Australian mayor, see Mick Michael.
Michael Michael (born 12 November 1957) is the ex-boss of a criminal empire called the Organisation which was involved in drug smuggling, prostitution and money laundering. Following his arrest, Michael turned supergrass/police informer, with his evidence leading to 34 people being jailed for a combined 170 years, and the dismantling of 26 different drug syndicates.
Among people he informed on were his wife Lynn, given a 24-month prison sentence suspended for two years for her role as a cash courier; and Janice Marlborough, his business lieutenant who ran his string of brothels. Michael's evidence led to drugs worth £49m being recovered from a distribution network that is thought to have smuggled more than 110 kg (250lb) of cocaine and 19 tonnes of cannabis into Britain.
Information about Michael's work as an informer remained secret until December 2001, when a judge at Woolwich Crown Court sentenced him to six years in jail. Reporting restrictions that had been in place for three years were lifted. Michael had admitted one count of conspiracy to import cocaine, a similar charge involving cannabis, and three conspiracies to launder the proceeds. He has also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm. Michael, who lived in Radlett, Hertfordshire, is thought to have been given a new identity under the terms of the witness protection programme.
Born into a Greek-Cypriot family in Birmingham in the English Midlands, Michael's birth name was Constantine Michael Michael, but he decided to drop the use of the forename Constantine in adulthood.
References
- "findmypast.co.uk". search.findmypast.co.uk.
- ^ Hopkins, Nick (19 December 2001). "Gangster supergrass jailed". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Correspondent, By John Steele, Crime. "'Supergrass' is jailed over £132m drugs ring".
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)