Product Description

'Protected Witness Unit (PWU): Designed to hold prisoners who are giving evidence or assistance to the police in cases of serious crime. All inmates are known to staff simply as 'Bloggs' followed by a number...' In December 1995, the bodies of three men were discovered in a Range Rover in a quiet country lane in the Essex village of Rettendon. All three were well-known villains, and had each been blasted in the head with a shotgun at point-blank range. One member of the gang decided to break ranks and tell all. The story Darren Nicholls told, at first, seemed too incredible to be believed. But as the evidence to support his version of events began to mount up, the motives behind the brutal murder became increasingly clear. The plot Nicholls eventually uncovered involved everything from Irish terror groups and European smuggling rings to prostitution and police corruption. Bloggs 19 chronicles the rise of some of Britain's most powerful and notorious villains and of the man whose betrayal led to their downfall - arguably the most important supergrass since the time of the Kray Twins.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10805 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 287 pages

Review
'As Crime Correspondant of the OBSERVER, he has precisely the kind of cool command of his facts that makes this the best kind of true crime writing.' CRIME TIME 'An extraordinary insight into criminal society.' OBSERVER

From the Author
Goodfellas - Essex style
Why Bloggs 19? The title comes from a top secret prison unit that is used to house 'supergrasses' and other top criminals who have decided to turn on their former colleagues and help the police. All the occupants of the unit have contracts out on their lives so, in order to keep their identities secret from one another and the prison staff, they are all known as Joe Bloggs, followed by a number. Bloggs 19 was the name given to Darren Nicholls, the supergrass in the case of three drug dealers who were found blasted to death in the back of a Range Rover down a quiet country lane in Essex a couple of years ago. The book details why the murder happened, how it was planned and what happens when you become a supergrass. Goodfellas, Essex style, is how one reviewer describes it. And who am I to disagree.

About the Author
Tony Thompson, Crime Correspondent of the Observer, is one of the country's leading experts in the field of organised crime. Having secured the trust and confidence of contract killers and armed robbers and drug dealers, as well as senior police and customs officials, he is able to provide a unique insight into the innermost workings of Britain's criminal underworld.

Customer Reviews

very raw and hard hitting A moving and also chilling story!
If you are interested at all in the gangland scene then this book is for you,it gives A very real view of everyday life as A petty criminal and shows what can happen when you stray into territory you are not prepared for.

Real life lock stock and two smoking barrels
I can remember reading/hearing about the murder of three men in a gangland style excecution,a few years back, all had been shot at point blank range , whilst sat in a parked range rover in a quiet country lane, and at the time wondered what the story behind it was. Well after reading BLOGGS 19 now I know . This book is an amazing insight into the criminal underworld in Essex, and what is really disturbing is that it is happening right here , right now in our own backyard. Drug smuggling, prostitution, forgery, police corruption, and links to irish terror groups, its all here , but most interesting was the insight into the protected witness scheme in this country . Mr.Bloggs 19 will forever be looking over his shoulder! A compelling read.

An insight to underworld activities
This book gives the reader an insight into underworld activities going on in the Essex area, and how three of the major player's were gunned down as a result of a dodgy drugs deal. It gives a detailed account of how Darren Nicholls got too deep into drug dealing, then found that there was no way out, unless he turned supergrass. An interesting read.