Jonty Skrufff's Blog

Posts Tagged ‘gangs’

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Two men who were involved in an incident outside the Ministry of Sound in which a man was decapitated by a car and the driver shot in revenge, appeared in a London court this week accused of murder and attempted murder.

Prosecuting lawyer Aftab Jafferjee QC said Ranjit Nankani, 30, waited outside the club for Gary Johnson, 25, Dwayne McPherson, 28, and a third friend after being ejected from Ministry after rowing with the trio inside.

The prosecutor described CCTV footage showing Gary Johnson strolling out of the club ‘without a care in the world’ before Nankini drove his Mitsubishi Shogun onto the pavement, mowing down Johnson and partially decapitating him. McPherson then pulled a gun and shot and wounded Nankini after his car hit parked cars and became trapped.

“This case is about breathtaking lawlessness on the streets of London,” the prosecutor Jafferjee told the court, “Where comparatively minor incidents inside a busy venue were responded to with murderous violence.” (BBC)

The terrifying incident happened in the early hours of a Bank Holiday Monday last August while the club was hosting a ‘Back To 95‘ headlined by UK garage legends Matt Jam Lamont, Morris Da Boss Windross and Dominic Spreadlove. Bystanders described hearing up to 8 shots fired in the street directly outside the club’s entrance with some comparing it to scenes from acclaimed US cop show The Wire.

“There was blood everywhere. It was really gruesome,” one witness told the London Paper, “There was a lot of commotion, then the police arrived. They put a white sheet over the body.” (The London Paper)

Speaking soon afterwards Ministry MD Lohan Presencer downplayed its significance, telling Skrufff ‘this was an incident that happened outside the club. I am not concerned that it has any broader implications for the club’s operation.”

His understandably cautious response contrasted markedly with the outspokenness of club founder James Palumbo who chatting to Skrufff several months earlier cheerfully admitted to regularly wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying CS gas to work in the early 90s, following problems with gangsters.

James Palumbo (click on the picture for more on his book Tomas)

“When I was in banking I took a big risk when I started a legal action against my family which could have obliterated me financially,” he told Skrufff. “Then also during the first few years of the Ministry of Sound I took another when I could have been shot in the head,” he recalled.

“There was a business management guy at the time who used to come into the club, he was like a manager/ psycho-analyst. His job was to teach everyone the logical consequences of their actions and he said to me at one point ‘you do realise that you could be killed’. I did realise that but I really don’t think I had any options,” he said.

“Because it was me against them. At that stage in my life I preferred to face the music than have had to live with giving up. It sounds as if I was trying to play the tough guy or taking the moralising position but it wasn’t like that. I don’t think it had anything to do with money either, I don’t even think I was courageous, I didn’t feel physically brave, I just wasn’t going to give in to these gangsters,” he explained.

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Tackling Gangs (click on the picture)

The Birmingham Mercury said that last week’s incident in which four people were shot and wounded at the Custard Factory was prompted by rival gangs trying to become rap stars on Britain’s thriving urban music scene.

“Rivalry between gangs used to be all about drugs, turf, dealing, etc, but this is a whole new thing,” a gangland source told the Midlands newspaper.

‘‘Both (local street gangs) B6 and B21 are trying to make it in the music industry and that’s what all this is stemming from. These are young guys and they don’t want territory, what they want is respect,” he added.

The Mercury’s assessment endorsed official advice for parents provided by West Midlands police on their gang website, on which they advise ‘rap music associated with gangs can be threatening and violent: Know what your children are listening to.”

“Young people are exposed to images of gangs on the TV, in movies and through rap music. These tend to glorify drugs, sex, and violence as an acceptable lifestyle and do not show the truth about gangs and the destruction they can cause for families, friends and the communities we live in,” the police information guide continues.

“Young people join gangs for lots of reasons, some are good and some are bad,” the cops’ advice continues. “They may ‘hang out’ on the streets with mates as a way of keeping safe and avoiding trouble.” (Tackling Gangs)

In related news leading Scottish drugs expert Professor Neil McKeganey sparked controversy this week when he noted that though drug dealers can provoke gang wars in communities they can also prove significantly ‘beneficial’ in a report on the phenomenom.

Pointing out that that poor people have access to better consumer goods via secondary markets in stolen goods, the Professor also noted that the presence of drug markets ‘could result in lower levels of other crimes as the drug sellers themselves sought to reduce the activities of other criminals that might attract unwanted police attention’.

“Such markets could be seen as having a positive impact on the surrounding community,” Professor McKeganey added.

“For example, the presence of a drug dealing market could mean the influx of substantial cash that would otherwise not occur as local drug dealers spend the money earned from their drug-selling activities.” (The Scotsman)

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Police announced they are reviewing the licence of Midlands superclub the Custard Factory this week after four revellers were shot and wounded during an Urban Music Gathering party at the prestigious arts centre.

Press reports described how shots were fired inside the party around 1am, followed by more gunfire 20 minutes later when a gang of 30 men stormed past security firing two more shots into the packed crowd.

‘It was blind panic after the first shots were fired just total mayhem,” TV presenter/ model Taye Armani told the Daily Mail, “‘As we were trying to get out we saw a man lying on the ground with blood pouring out of his stomach and people trying to help him,” she added (Daily Mail)

Wolverhampton news portal the Wolf said the venue ‘could have their licensing suspended or be banned from selling alcohol’ depending on the results of the investigation by Birmingham Central Police (The Wolf)

The incident came days before aclaimed electro/ techno party organisers Stupid Underground were due to host the official launch party of the entire Custard Factory complex ironically dubbed the ‘We told you we’re not closing’ party.

“This party is a celebration of exciting things to come at the nation’s new and improved clubbing destination,” Stupid Underground declared in their accompanying press release.

“Residents of the whole complex are also celebrating at this evening as this event signals the unveiling of a multi million pound office and retail quarter within the Custard Factory grounds.”

The incident occurred just over two months after a gunman fired a Mac-10 machine gun into a crowd of revellers attending an urban music warehouse party in West London for music portal Grime Daily, wounding three.

Speaking about the latest shooting, Detective Inspector Tom Chisholm told the BBC they’ve launched a “major inquiry” and appealed for witnesses to come forward.

“All gun crime is treated seriously,” he added, “And we want to reassure the local community that we have a team of officers working on this incident and increased patrols in the area.”

click on the picture for Stanley Kubrick's brilliant original trailer

Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange trailer, Youtube

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Click to access Stop The Guns

Club and Vice squad Detective Superintendent Richard Martin defended the Met Police’s controversial Form 696 this week, insisting the document isn’t being used to prevent Grime acts and hip hops acts from playing in London clubs.

The top cop also said that that gigs playing recorded music rather than live music tended to be much more dangerous, with those starting after 10pm the most at risk. He also said the forms (which require promoters to fill in performers’ personal details and their musical genres) are about tracking dangerous fans rather than artists themselves.

“What it’s actually about is everything that’s around it. So who’s going? What’s the audience going to be like? Are there any gangs going? Will there be any violence?” Detective Superintendent Martin told the BBC’s Newsbeat.

“So it’s not really about the artist at all,” he claimed.

In more London club news ‘industry veterans’ behind new bimonthly party Form announced details of their first party at Village Underground this week with an uncompromising attack on ‘underground’ clubbing in London.

“The whole of clubland has become saturated with so-called “underground” club nights at present. In reality this format is now so common-place that all they bring us is the same old crowds, the same old venues, the same old sounds and the same old experiences – all the while still claiming to be individual,” Form’s press release complained.

“These kind of events also alienate lots of people who like a good night out just by the sheer “cliquey” element attached to them,” the club continued, “FORM wants to shake it up and do things differently. They’d like to give you a night which is thoroughly down to earth and without pretention.”

Acid house pioneers X-Press 2, CJ Mackintosh and Jon headline Form on June 19, followed by Mr C and Norman Jay in August.

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