The Scrubs: Wormwood Scrubs is a prison in Hammersmith, London, England that for decades housed some of the UK’s most notorious criminals. They were those classed as category A prisoners and included, murderers, serial killers and violent members of the criminal underworld including bank robbers.
Bonfire night: Celebrated on the 5th of November every year with a bonfire and fireworks, the country remembers Guy Fawkes a prominent member of a gang who in1605 tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, the seat of government in the UK. The intention was to assassinate King James1
A Wheelman: a term used to describe the getaway driver when criminals need an experienced driver.
The Smoke: A slang term for London
He was around 5 foot 7 inches tall, stocky and very softly spoken. There was nothing remarkable about him, you would have passed him in the street without a second glance, but this man, who had been my friend for many years, had a secret. I learned it as we sat together sharing a bottle of whisky. On the table was a photograph of his dog Judy an adorable Norfolk Terrier that he had owned for around 10 years.
The simplest way for me to tell the story is to replicate what he recounted to me as far as I remember. This is what he said…..
“I was a typical young man in my early 20s, with no proper job, no money, always looking for the easy way to finance my lifestyle, and in the process, got involved with a very bad crowd. They all had criminal records, mainly for minor stuff. My only talent was that I was considered to be a rather good driver. I had done a bit of rallying, stock car racing, that sort of thing, and I could fine-tune an engine so that it could outpace any similar car.
We all wanted easy money, so it was agreed that I would be the wheelman while the rest of them robbed a bank. It was meant to be the perfect crime. We decided to steal a car, drive from London to Birmingham, rob the bank and drive back to the smoke. I stole the car, gave it a respray, changed the plates, and by the time I had finished with it, I reckoned we could stay ahead of any pursuit vehicles.
The gang wore masks and carried sawn-off shotguns. I sat in the car outside the bank, and obviously, I couldn’t wear a mask, but as I was a long way from London, the risk of being identified was very slim, particularly as I had a newspaper in front of my face as I sat in the car and waited. The gang ran out of the bank, jumped into the car, and we sped off back to the capital. We arrived only to find ourselves surrounded by police and got nicked. Never got the chance to even count the money. As it happened that one of my neighbours was in Birmingham on business that day and recognised me!! How about that for bad luck?
There was no way out, we all pleaded guilty, I did 12 years in the Scrubs and I was lucky, the others got a lot longer than me because they were brandishing the guns.
Believe me, the Scrubs was and probably still is a hellhole. You wouldn’t keep cattle in that place. The worst day of the year was November the fifth, most people think it’s Christmas day that is the worst but it’s not. You see, you can hear and see the fireworks, and those sounds remind you that everyone is enjoying themselves and you are stuck in prison. Anyway I did my time and eventually was released but life wasn’t easy I couldn’t get a job and I was drinking. The future didn’t look too rosy, crime beckoned as I had offers to be a wheelman again.”
“Then I met Judy.”
“I came out of the pub one evening, and there was this bloke beating the crap out of this little dog who was howling in pain. Well, I admit I totally lost it. I got hold of him and gave him the hiding of a lifetime. I probably did him a lot of damage, but I can’t stand bullies at the best of times, and I had seen enough of them while I was doing time. I can’t abide scum who beat up on women and kiddies, same for animals. I took the little dog home, I didn’t have any dog food so we shared a can of baked beans!! What’s more, it was a cold night, so she slept on my bed.”
“Ray, she saved my life; without her, I’d be doing an impossible stretch, or I’d be dead.”
“Shortly after, I was approached to drive for a gang who had just lost their driver. I was tempted, but as I thought that I might take the job, I looked at Judy and realised that if I got caught again, I could get 20 years. I knew that there was no way I could do another long stretch and what would happen to Judy. As it happened, when the job was done, one of the idiots left his fingerprints behind at their hideout, they all got nicked, and the prison terms were horrendous.”
“I turned my life around; it was bloody difficult. I did loads of jobs, and I did anything as long as it was legal. I haven’t had so much as a parking ticket. As you know, I eventually started my own business, and I have never looked back. I owe everything to Judy.”
This was a man who had survived 12 years in one of the worst prisons in the UK, but the tears rolled down his face.
I poured him another shot of scotch.
I’m sure by now you may have guessed that Judy had passed away, and I was trying to console my friend, but it had been a very emotional time as he confessed his past misdemeanours, which came as something of a shock.
After that revelation, there really wasn’t much to say, and when we were well down the bottle, we called it a night.
Soon after, we both left the area and subsequently, we lost touch. He said he would never have another dog. He thought it would be disloyal to Judy, and he also felt it would be unfair as he might be tempted to compare a new dog to her.
I don’t know what happened to my friend, but in the very unlikely event that you read this, get in touch, and we will find a way to finish the bottle.
“Every once in a while a dog enters your life and changes everything.”
Anon
With subtitle or not?