Dave Courtney

Dave Courtney
Courtney (right) in 2003 with Rob Ferguson
Born	David John Courtney (1959-02-17) 17 February 1959 (age 58) Bermondsey, London, England
Education	Forest Hill School
Occupation	Actor
Website	www.davecourtney.com

David "Dave" John Courtney (born 17 February 1959) is an English self-proclaimed former gangster who has become both an author and celebrity-gangster figure. Author Bernard O'Mahoney and the former member of the Richardson gang, Frankie Fraser, have accused Courtney of embellishing and fabricating his criminal record and position in the underworld; however, Courtney has denied overstating his past.

Courtney attended Forest Hill School

Courtney was born in Bermondsey, London to Teresa (née Dargan) and Patrick W J Courtney, who married in 1954 in Camberwell.

Courtney often focuses on his links with gangsters such as Reggie Kray and Lenny McLean, though in the case of the former, 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 himself. He also makes 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.

He often refers to himself as Dave Courtney OBE–"One Big Ego"–but is not an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. His house in Plumstead, called 'Camelot', is decorated with union flags, a painted depiction of himself as a knight and a large knuckle duster.

Courtney claims to have been involved in debt-collecting, minding clubs, assault, contraband, and murder. He also claims 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. Dave has cultivated a reputation for using the knuckle duster when debt-collecting and was known as "The Yellow Pages of the Underworld".