Mourners have arrived for the funeral of infamous Glasgow gangster Paul Ferris to see him laid to rest at the same crematorium as an underworld rival.
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him → arrive → rival
His coffin arrived at Daldowie Crematorium in Glasgow, including one large floral tribute spelling out the word ‘Legend’ in capital letters while another said 'Dad'.
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another → arrive → Dad
That was the same venue where one of his main rivals Tam McGraw was cremated in August 2007 after his death at the age of 55.
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one → cremate → 55
Both men had suffered knife injuries during a confrontation between the pair in 2002.
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men → suffer → 2002
Pallbearers were today seen carrying Ferris's coffin out of the hearse ahead of the funeral, for which orders of service were handed out and shown - while a bagpiper played outside the crematorium.
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bagpiper → see → crematorium
Gang leader and later author Ferris died on October 6 aged 62, at University Hospital in Glasgow to which he had been admitted two days earlier.
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he → die → which
He is survived by his wife Carolyn and five children Paul, Dean, Carolyn, William and John-Paul.
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He → survive → wife
The orders of service revealed a choice of songs for the service including Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here for the gathering then I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for the coffin's entrance.
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I → reveal → entrance
Sir Elton John's Your Song was picked for the reflection, Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits for the committal and finally, for the recessional, Pink Floyd again with Coming Back To Life.
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Song → pick → Life
Ferris' life story was turned into a 2013 film called The Wee Man in which he was played by Line Of Duty star Martin Compston.
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he → turn → Compston
The career criminal first came to public attention in 1992 when he was cleared at the High Court in Glasgow of the murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr, son of Glasgow crime 'godfather' Arthur Thompson Snr.
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he → come → godfather
Mourners gathered in Glasgow today for the funeral of gangster Paul Ferris
A floral tribute spelling out the word 'LEGEND' was seen at Daldowie Crematorium
Notorious underworld figure Paul Ferris was a former gangland enforcer and author
A bagpiper was seen playing and leading the cortege outside the crematorium
The not guilty verdict came after what was then the longest-running trial in Scottish criminal history.
He later stood trial at the Old Bailey in London in 1998, where he was convicted of conspiracy to transfer prohibited weapons, dealing in firearms and possessing explosives.
Ferris was sentenced to ten years in prison, later reduced to seven on appeal.
While behind bars he wrote his first book, The Ferris Conspiracy, which was later adapted into the 2013 Bafta-winning film The Wee Man.
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which → gather → film
The film charted Ferris's rise from the tough Blackhill area of Glasgow in the 1970s and 1980s to becoming an enforcer for feared crime boss Arthur Thompson Snr.
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film → chart → Snr
Police officers nicknamed Ferris 'Houdini' because of his ability to beat serious criminal charges which investigators believed were watertight.
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investigators → nickname → charges
Following his release from prison in 2002, Ferris insisted he had left crime behind and had become a legitimate businessman with interests in the security and construction sectors.
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he → follow → sectors
He also published several books documenting his life and experiences.
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He → publish → life
Orders of service were handed out for the funeral of Ferris who died aged 62 on October 6
Photos of Ferris were shown as well as his family's message of thanks to funeral directors
Mourners bowed their heads as the cortege arrived at Daldowie Crematorium in Glasgow
Ferris is seen in 1992 outside the High Court in Glasgow after being cleared of the murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr, son of Glasgow crime 'godfather' Arthur Thompson Snr
In an interview with the Daily Record in July, Ferris said he had never been tempted to return to crime despite continued scepticism about his transformation.
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he → hand → transformation
He said: 'I have either been an absolute criminal genius for the last 25 years or I have done nothing wrong.
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I → say → nothing
Ferris grew up just a few hundred yards from Thompson's fortified home, known as the Ponderosa.
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Ferris → grow → Ponderosa
After leaving school at 16, he worked as a van boy before becoming involved in organised crime.
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he → leave → crime
By the age of 19 he had joined Thompson's inner circle and developed a fearsome reputation in Glasgow's underworld.
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he → join → underworld
He was cleared over the shooting of John Hogg in 1984, after Hogg was struck when gunmen targeted his cousin Willie Gibson.
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gunmen → clear → cousin
Ferris later fell out with the Thompsons in a bitter split that became one of the defining feuds of Glasgow gangland.
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that → fall → gangland
He claimed he had been set up over a drugs bust and said only Thompson Snr and Thompson Jnr knew where he had been travelling at the time.
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he → claim → time
The feud has long been linked to the 1991 murder of Arthur Thompson Jnr, known as 'Fat Boy', who was shot dead outside his father's home in Provanmill.
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who → link → Provanmill
Shortly afterwards, Ferris's associates Bobby Glover, 31, and Joe 'Bananas' Hanlon, 23, were found shot dead in a car on the day of Thompson's funeral.
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associates → find → funeral
Ferris was charged with the murder of Thompson Jnr but was acquitted after the landmark High Court trial.
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Ferris → charge → trial
No one else has ever been convicted over the killing.
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one → convict → killing
However, he was eventually convicted following Operation Abonar, an undercover investigation involving MI5, Strathclyde Police, Scotland Yard and the South East Regional Crime Squad.
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he → convict → MI5
The operation caught Ferris transporting three MAC-10 submachine guns, ammunition, Uzi magazines and silencers to Glasgow in an Opal Fruits box in 1997.
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Ferris → catch → 1997
Prosecutors said the weapons were destined for Glasgow's gangland streets.
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weapons → say → streets
Ferris was jailed in London for ten years in 1998, later reduced to seven, and served time in Belmarsh prison.
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Ferris → jail → prison
Although he vowed to go straight after his release, he became embroiled in a feud with rival gangster McGraw.
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he → vow → McGraw
Their dispute culminated in a violent confrontation in 2002 in which both men suffered knife injuries.
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men → culminate → injuries
A subsequent meeting involving Ferris was recorded during police surveillance and resulted in his parole being revoked and his return to prison.
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parole → involve → prison
Ferris is survived by five children, none of whom he said had become involved in crime.
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he → survive → crime
Ferris's older brother Billy died in prison last year aged 75 for murdering 15-year-old schoolboy Jason Hutchison in Ayrshire in 2003.
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brother → die → 2003
The Aporia
