Dick Kirby - The Brighton Police Scandal: A Story of Corruption, Intimidation & Violence

DICK KIRBY

has also written:

Rough Justice: Memoirs of a Flying Squad Officer

The Real Sweeney

Youre Nicked!

Villains

The Guvnors: Ten of Scotland Yards Finest Detectives

The Sweeney: The First Sixty Years of Scotland Yards Crimebusting

Flying Squad 19191978

Scotland Yards Ghost Squad:

The Secret Weapon against Post-War Crime

The Brave Blue Line:

100 Years of Metropolitan Police Gallantry

Death on the Beat:

Police Officers killed in the Line of Duty

The Scourge of Soho:

The Controversial Career of SAS Hero Harry Challenor MM

Whitechapels Sherlock Holmes:

The Casebook of Fred Wensley OBE, KPM, Victorian Crimebuster

The Wrong Man:

The Shooting of Steven Waldorf and the Hunt for David Martin

Laid Bare:

The Nude Murders and the Hunt for Jack the Stripper

Londons Gangs at War

Operation Countryman:

The Flawed Enquiry into London Police Corruption

Scotland Yards Gangbuster:

Bert Wicksteads Most Celebrated Cases

The Mayfair Mafia:The Lives and Crimes of the Messina Brothers

Scotland Yards Flying Squad:

100 Years of Crime Fighting

Scotland Yards Murder Squad

The Racetrack Gangs:

Four Decades of Doping, Intimidation and Violent Crime

IRA Terror on Britains Streets 19391940: The Wartime Bombing Campaign and Hitler Connection

Scotland Yards Casebook of Serious Crimes: 75 Years of No-Nonsense Policing

DICK KIRBY

First published in Great Britain in 2021 by

Pen & Sword True Crime

An imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Yorkshire Philadelphia

Copyright Dick Kirby 2021

ISBN 978 1 39901 728 2

eISBN 978 1 39901 729 9

Mobi ISBN 978 1 39901 731 2

The right of Dick Kirby to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

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To Ann

You must never go down to the end of the town If you dont go down with me.

Disobedience

A.A. Milne, 18821956

He treats criminals the only way they understand. His language is often shocking, his methods unorthodox. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS MAGAZINE

The continuing increase in violent crime will make many readers yearn for yesteryear and officers of Dick Kirbys calibre. POLICE MAGAZINE

His reflections on the political aspect of law enforcement will ring true for cops, everywhere. AMERICAN POLICE BEAT

Its no-nonsense portrayal of life in the police will give readers a memorable literary experience. SUFFOLK JOURNAL

A great read with fascinating stories and amusing anecdotes from a man who experienced it all. SUFFOLK NORFOLK LIFE MAGAZINE

A gritty series of episodes from his time in the Met laced with black humour and humanity. EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES

This is magic. The artfulness of these anti-heroes has you pining for the bad old days. DAILY SPORT

Crammed with vivid descriptions of long-forgotten police operations, races along like an Invicta tourer, at full throttle. DAILY EXPRESS .

Rarely, if ever, have I been so captivated and moved by a book ... the way in which Mr Kirby has gone about it is exceptional. POLICE MEMORABILIA COLLECTORS CLUB

Dick Kirby has chosen his fascinating subject well. LAW SOCIETY GAZETTE

Thrilling stories of gang-busting, murder and insurrection. BERTRAMS BOOKS

Ascrupulously honest and detailed account of the unfortunate events leading to police shooting an innocent man... nobody is better qualified to write an account of this story than Dick Kirby. LONDON POLICE PENSIONER MAGAZINE

Dick Kirby knows his stuff! surrey-constabulary.com

Kirby looks to untangle facts from speculation and questions everything. GET WEST LONDON

Murder, torture and extortion all feature prominently as Mr Kirby investigates some of the most famous incidents of the post-war era. THE MAIL ONLINE

Only an insider with the engaging style of Dick Kirby could have produced this nakedly forthright page-turner. JOSEPH WAMBAUGH, AUTHOR OF THE CHOIRBOYS

Kirbys wit and extremely dry humour comes on straight away as early as the prologue which, of course, makes heavy reading subjects easier and creates a relationship between the author (narrator) and the reader. THE LOVE OF BOOKS

Dick Kirbys book gives precious insight into its exploits for over a century. PAUL MILLEN, AUTHOR OF CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATOR

Dick Kirby has written a book that all crime aficionados will want to read. WASHINGTON TIMES

Kirby does not hold back in detailing the grisly parts, bringing home to the reader the harsh reality that these ruthless killers had no boundaries. LONDON POLICE PENSIONER MAGAZINE

F irst and foremost, I should like to thank fellow author David Rowland for his enormous, generous and well-researched input into the book; it has proved invaluable. My thanks, as ever, go to Brigadier Henry Wilson of Pen & Sword Books for his help and encouragement, as well as to Matt Jones, Tara Moran, Jon Wilkinson for his splendid, imaginative illustrations and George Chamier for his lynx-eyed editing.

Next, the following people provided great assistance: Russ Allen; Julie Bedford, Data Protection Unit, Sussex Police; Ian Borthwick; Philip Bye, Senior Archivist, Elizabeth Hughes and Andrew Lusted of East Sussex Record Office; Andrew Cook; Bob Fenton QGM, The Ex-CID Officers Association; John Kalber; Martin McKay, British Transport Police History Group; Phillip Meeson, Vice-Chairman of the Old Police Cells Museum, Brighton Town Hall; Alan Moss of History by the Yard; the late John Rigby; Susi Rogol, editor of the London Police Pensioner magazine; Tim Sargeant; Peter Scott; Jenny Stacey; Michelle Sutton, British Transport Police; the late Frank Wensley; Giles York QPM, Chief Constable, Sussex Police.

My thanks to David Rowland and Martin McKay for the use of some of the photographs; others are from the authors collection, and whilst every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of all images, the author and the publishers apologise for any inadvertent omissions.