Paul Ferris (Scottish writer)

Paul John Ferris (born 4 December 1963 in Blackhill, Glasgow) is an author and former criminal. His books The Ferris Conspiracy, Deadly Divisions, Vendetta and Villains led to controversy over the possibility of criminals profiting from their crimes.

Paul Ferris was born in the Blackhill district of Glasgow to a Protestant father and a Catholic mother, and was raised as a Catholic. Ferris was the youngest of six children, with one older brother Billy and four sisters Carol, Cath Janet and Maureen. Ferris was bullied for several years by members of a local criminal family, the Welshes, which is thought to have resulted in him developing the skin disorder psoriasis.

Ferris began his life of crime as a teenager with a series of revenge knife attacks on the Welsh brothers, and was arrested aged 17 for assault and robbery and sent to Longriggend Remand Centre. He was bailed after several weeks, and while awaiting trial fled from the police after a car chase, as the car he was travelling in contained a shotgun and knives. After several weeks on the run, Ferris was captured by the police and returned to Longriggend to await trial. At his trial for the assault and robbery charges he was sentenced to three months in Glenochil Detention Centre. After his release from Glenochil he returned to court to face charges relating to the car chase, and was sentenced to a year in Glenochil Young Offenders Institution. Several weeks after the end of his sentence he was arrested while attempting to rob a jeweller's shop and returned to Longriggend. Upon his release he continued to take his revenge on the Welsh brothers, which brought him to the attention of Glasgow underworld figure Arthur Thompson, known as "The Godfather".

Ferris became involved with Thompson's crime empire aged 19, when he became an collecting debts on behalf of Thompson, and was linked to stabbings, slashings, blindings and knee-cappings. A year later Ferris was arrested following an incident where shots were fired at Willie Gibson and four of his relatives while they were travelling home from a night at a pub, with Gibsons' cousin (John Hogg) sustaining a bullet wound to his thigh. The three relatives failed to identify Ferris at an identity parade, but Gibson picked him out as the man who fired the shots. Ferris was charged with four counts of attempted murder, and was remanded to Longriggend. At his trial several months later he was acquitted on all four counts with a not proven verdict.

Now aged 21, Ferris immediately returned to his work as an enforcer for Thompson, and was soon arrested again and charged with possession of offensive weapons after a pickaxe handle and knives were found in his car. While awaiting trial he was involved in a stabbing, and fled to Thompson's holiday home in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. Within a day of arriving there, he was arrested by armed police and charged with various offences including attempted murder and possession of heroin with intent to supply, and was remanded to HM Prison Barlinnie. The attempted murder charge was dropped a week later and Ferris was found not guilty of the drugs charge, but he received an 18-month sentence for possession of offensive weapons. After being released from prison Ferris stopped working for Thompson and started a company named Cottage Conservatories specialising in double glazing and conservatories, but still remained active in the criminal underworld.

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