Paul Massey (gangster)

Paul Massey (7 January 1960[1] – 26 July 2015) was an English organised crime figure and Salford-based businessman. He was shot dead outside his home by Mark Fellows on 26 July 2015.[2]

Early life

Massey was born and brought up in Ordsall, Salford, by his mother Rose Massey and father John Massey; he was one of six children.[3] When Massey was 12, he was arrested for criminal damage and sent to approved school.[4]

Criminal career

In the 1990s, Massey established several security companies.[1] Through these businesses, he and his gang were able to control the doors of several Manchester-area nightclubs.[4]

In 1999, Massey was sentenced to 14 years in prison for stabbing a man in the groin.[5]

Several media outlets reported that Massey served as an important mediator between rival organised crime firms in Greater Manchester.[6][7]

At the time of his death, the regional organised crime squad was investigating Massey over allegations of money-laundering.[8][9]

Mayoral campaign

In 2012, following his 2007 release from Frankland Prison, Massey announced he was running for mayor of Salford.[10] He finished seventh out of ten candidates.[4]

Death

On 26 July 2015, Massey was shot dead outside his home on Manchester Road, Clifton, by a lone gunman. Mark Fellows, the killer, was reported to have been wearing military style fatigues and carried a weapon "similar to a sub machine gun".[11] Greater Manchester Police offered a £50,000 reward for information pertaining to the killing.[12]

Aftermath

Authorities in the Manchester area feared an escalation in gang violence related to Massey's death. Manchester police believe that the shooting of a 29-year-old woman and her seven-year-old son was linked to retribution for the Massey killing.[13] From January–December 2015, there were 19 shootings in Salford.[14]

Arrest and conviction

On 1 June 2018, Fellows was charged with Massey's murder and also that of Massey's close friend, Liverpool gangster John Kinsella.[15][16] Fellows was subsequently convicted and sentenced to a whole life order.[17] Conspirators used PGP-equipped BlackBerry phones to co-ordinate the murder.[18]

Personal

Massey had five children and eight grandchildren at the time of his death.[19] Massey was given the nickname "Mr. Big" by city councillor Joe Burrows during a meeting in 1992 held to address ongoing civil disturbances in Salford.[20]

References
  1. "As Salford buries its Mr Big, his gang want revenge and the turf wars grow". The Guardian. 26 November 2015.
  2. "Paul Massey Murde". BBC. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  3. "Paul Massey funeral: Armed police on stand-by as gangland figures expected to pay respects to Salford 'Mr Big'". Manchester Evening News. 25 August 2015.
  4. "Paul Massey death: Who was Salford's Mr Big?". BBC. 27 July 2015.
  5. "Who Was 'Salford's Mr Big' Paul Massey?". Sky News. 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2015.
  6. "Who is Paul Massey?". Manchester Evening News. 8 October 2010.
  7. "Paul Massey shooting: Salford's 'Mr Big' may have been targeted for mediating between rival gangs". International Business Times. 28 July 2015.
  8. "Paul Massey's death and Salford's escalating gang feud". BBC News. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  9. "Salford mayor candidate Paul Massey 'not a criminal'". BBC. 13 April 2012.
  10. "Man jailed for 14 years for stabbing man is now standing for Salford mayor". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  11. "Paul Massey murder: 'Mr Big' case detectives offer £50k reward - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  12. Halliday, Josh. "Paul Massey murder: police offer £50,000 reward for information". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  13. "Salford boy and mother shooting 'linked to gang feuds' - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  14. "Bad blood". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  15. Perraudin, Frances (1 June 2018). "Man charged over John Kinsella gangland murder in Merseyside". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  16. "Murder charges over gangland deaths". BBC News. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  17. Scheerhout, John (5 June 2019). "Paul Massey murderer Mark Fellows 'whole life' sentence appeal Dismissed". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  18. Scheerhout, John (9 July 2020). "The 'secret server' used in killing of John Kinsella and what it says about guns". Manchester Evening News.
  19. Docking, Neil (14 January 2019). "Paul Massey in the words of those who loved him most". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  20. "Paul Massey murder: 'Mr Big' shot dead by masked gunman". BBC News. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2020.

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