Dave Courtney

David John Courtney (17 February 1959 – 22 October 2023) was an English self-proclaimed gangster who became both an author and an actor.

Author Bernard O'Mahoney and Frankie Fraser, a former member of the Richardson Gang, accused Courtney of embellishing and fabricating his criminal record and position in the underworld; however, Courtney denied overstating his past.

Courtney was born in Bermondsey, London. He went to Adamsrill primary school in Sydenham, South East London.

Courtney often focused on his links with gangsters such as Reggie Kray and Lenny McLean, although he was nine years old when Kray was imprisoned. Courtney has claimed to have been shot, stabbed, had his nose bitten off, and stated that he has had to kill to stay alive. He made the claim that his involvement in a car crash on the M20 was an attempt by "someone who had a grudge against him" to kill him.

Courtney often referred to himself as Dave Courtney OBE, the suffix standing for One Big Ego. His house in Plumstead, called Camelot Castle, was decorated with Union Jack flags and the cross of St George, a painted depiction of himself as a knight and a large knuckle duster.

Courtney claimed to have been involved in debt-collecting, minding clubs, assault, contraband, and murder. He also claimed he has spent time in Belmarsh Prison as a high security prisoner, which has been backed up by ex-prison guard Jim Dawkins in his book The Loose Screw.

In his book F**k the Ride, Courtney claims to have been found not guilty in 19 separate trials.

On 22 October 2023, Courtney was found dead at his home in Plumstead having shot himself. He was 64.

Courtney was an author, having had six books published: Stop the Ride I Want to Get Off, Raving Lunacy, Dodgy Dave's Little Black Book, The Ride's Back On, F**k the Ride, and Heroes & Villains.

Courtney starred in and produced his own film, Hell to Pay (2005), and took on the leading role of Mad Dave opposite Manish Patel in the low-budget British film Triads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees (2003).

Largely making a living from television documentaries and personal appearances, Courtney ran his own website, was involved in charity work and worked on the films Six Bend Trap and Clubbing to Death alongside Craig Charles and Nick Moran. Courtney was featured in the 2008 film The Dead Sleep Easy, filmed on location in Mexico.

Courtney worked with Director Liam Galvin on 2 DVDs – Dave Courtney's Dodgy DVD and Dave Courtney Even Dodgier – both released by Gangster Videos. He collaborated again with Liam Galvin on the 2010 film Killer Bitch and the 2016 film Mob Handed.

Courtney appeared in the film Mother's Child (2020), as club owner Mr Townsend alongside Alex Reid. It was released worldwide on Amazon Prime, DVD, and Blu-ray.

In June 2004, Courtney was cleared of beating his girlfriend Jennifer Lucrea Pinto during a row over her lesbian lover.

In January 2009 he was given an 18-month conditional discharge at Bristol Crown Court, on a charge of possessing live ammunition without a firearms certificate. His defence of not knowing that the single live pistol round was live rather than a stage prop prompted Judge Ticehurst to comment, "It perhaps undermines your street credibility and your stage performance that you cannot distinguish between a real round and a fake round. But perhaps that's not for me to say."

In May 2009, Courtney filed for bankruptcy, reportedly owing £400,000 to creditors, including taxes of £250,000.

On 29 July 2009, he was arrested and charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, specifically a Brocock Air Cartridge pistol, and possession of a firearm whilst being a prohibited person. He was sent in custody to Woolwich Crown Court for trial. The Brocock pistol was previously legal as an air-weapon (and would then have been legal for Courtney to possess) but police concerns over the "ease" with which they can be converted into cartridge-firing firearms led to a ban on this specific design. Courtney was on remand in HMP Belmarsh, concerning the aforementioned firearms offences. On 10 December 2009, Courtney was cleared after the jury took two hours to find him not guilty on all charges.

• Dave Courtney (1999). Stop the Ride I Want to Get Off. Virgin Publishing. ISBN 0-7535-0462-6.
• — (2000). Raving Lunacy. Virgin Publishing. ISBN 0-7535-0504-5.
• — (2001). Dodgy Dave's Little Black Book. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0685-8.
• — (2003). The Ride's Back On. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0860-5.
• — (2005). F**k the Ride. Virgin Books. ISBN 1-85227-227-9.
• — (2006). Heroes & Villains. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-1177-0.
• Jim Dawkins; Dave Courtney (2008). The British Crime and Prison Quiz Book. Foreword by Charles Bronson. Apex. ISBN 978-1-906358-01-3.

• Mob Handed (2016)...Tank Killer
• Gangsters Gamblers Geezers (2016) ... Terry
• Full English Breakfast (2014)
• Fraud (2011) ... Vice.com
• Killer Bitch (2010) ... Dave
• The Dead Sleep Easy (2008) ... Tlaloc
• Clubbing to Death (2007) ... Harry Dench
• Six Bend Trap (2006) ... Gordy Metcalf
• Hell to Pay (2005) ... Dave Malone
• The Baby Juice Express (2004) ... Baxter
• Triads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees (2003) ... Mad Dave
• Dave Courtney's Underworld (Documentary) (2000) ... Himself
• One in Something (1999) ... Judge
• The Krays (1990) ... Bill