BOBBY Cummines built a brutal reputation in 1970s London.
But it was a reputation he later decided he wanted to change.
Who is Bobby Cummines?
Robert "Bobby" Cummines, better known as Bobby Cummines, is an English former gang leader, protection racketeer, armed robber, and criminal enforcer.
He was chief executive of Unlock, The National Association of Reformed Offenders from April 1999 until March 2012.
Born in Islington, London on November 23, 1951, Cummines was the youngest of eight children.
Growing up in a law-abiding family in King’s Cross, Bobby left school at 16 with no qualifications.
Read More on Crime
Find out when Jeffrey Dahmer went to prison
Stephen Lawrence killer snuck phone into cell and sent selfies to pals
But with a recently acquired job in a shipping office and the prospect of a career in Customs & Excise ahead of him -Bobby’s life took a turn for the worse upon his first serious encounter with the police.
Recalling the encounter, Cummines said: “I was in a park with my mates when somebody let off a starting pistol. The police were called and began bullying these younger kids.
''They were aggressive and shouldn’t have been talking to these kids without an adult present, so I stood up to them. The police left and returned soon after.
''They pointed to a cut-throat razor that was on the ground and claimed it was mine that I had took it out of my pocket and threw it on the floor. It was a fit-up. My dad was a straight-goer and thought the police were like Dixon of Dock Green.
Most read in News
Our town was one of the most desirable in UK… now it's overrun by teen yobs
Labour MP SUSPENDED for making ‘racist comments’ about Kwasi Kwarteng
Putin feared to have SABOTAGED pipelines as the sea bubbles from gas leak
'Bigger' woman 'made man have sex after telling him "your d*** is saying yes"'
''He said the police would never plant evidence. He told me to plead guilty and that I’d get a fine and it’ll be forgotten about in a few years.”
And Cummines did just that, however, Cummines bosses at the shipping office found out about the case and sacked him as a result.
Angry and unemployable, it was then, Cummines decided to begin a criminal career – and quickly became Britain's youngest armed robbery.
And within a year – he was in the Old Bailey charged with possession of a shotgun and armed robbery, and there was sent to a Detention Centre for his crimes.
After his release, he then went on to become a gangland leader of criminal enforcers, extortionists and racketeers known as "The Chaps", employing extreme violence in 1970s throughout North London.
Cummines claims he was taught to dehumanise anyone he killed.
Despite being described as a gangster, Cummines has refused to accept the label, saying he never considered himself one.
Instead, he states he was a "businessman whose business was crime."
Why did Bobby Cummines get sent to prison?
Cummines was sent to prison when an arms dealer informed and told the authorities almost everything Cummines and his gang had done.
While in prison, within the first few months he had taken a governor hostage for being "unreasonable".
This led authorities to designate him as a class "A" prisoner, resulting in him to be frequently moved from one prison to another.
How long did Bobby Cummines spend in prison?
Throughout his career as a committed and violent criminal, Cummines found himself behind bars on a number of occasions.
After being sentenced to a Detention Centre at just 16, he later found himself sentenced once again, as he stood trial for murder when an armed robbery went wrong and a man that he tied up choked to death.
Cummines was found not guilty of murder but served five years of a seven and a half year sentence for manslaughter.
Once again, on his release, Cummines re-entered society and retuned once more to a life of crime.
Inevitably, he was arrested once more by armed police and sentenced to 12 years in prison – this was his last sentence.
Why did Bobby Cummines get awarded an OBE?
Whilst serving his sentence in Parkhurst Prison, met notorious criminal Charlie Richardson – who ended up having a huge impact on his life, ultimately sending him on the road to redemption.
Richardson encouraged Cummines to get into education and start reading.
Cummines then studied for a degree with the Open University whilst in prison.
Upon leaving prison, Cummines joined Mark Leach, the founder of Unlock, the National Association of Reformed Offenders – providing practical support and advice and developed a particular expertise in tackling the financial exclusion of ex-offenders.
He then become CEO when Mark stood down.
Unlock became a powerful force in the rehabilitation of offenders, and in 2011 Unlock won The Guardian’s Charity of the Year Award.
Cummines was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II that same year, in June 2011, in recognition of his services to reformed offenders.
What does Bobby Cummines do now?
Bobby Cummines is now a respected anti-crime campaigner whose charities have helped rehabilitate hundreds of ex-offenders.
He has also written his autobiography which was published in 2015 – detailing his life of crime and how he found the road to redemption.
What is Bobby Cummines' net worth?
Read More on The Sun
People are only just realising they’ve been using bubble wands wrong
Kate Middleton swears by a £6 product to stop her shoes from slipping
Bobby Cummines income mostly comes from being a successful British Businessman.
Bobby Cummines net worth is reported at approximately £1.5 million to £5 million.
Source: Read Full Article
