Ronnie Biggs
Ronnie Biggs had all but retired from crime when he was approached by the gang.
| Fact title | Fact data |
|---|---|
| Played by |
Jack Gordon
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Ronald Arthur Biggs was discharged from RAF on 8 June 1949. He married Charmian Powell in 1960 and set up a family home in Redhill.
Biggs escaped from Wandsworth Prison by scaling a 35 foot wall...recollections of Ronnie Biggs
Before the Great Train Robbery Biggs had spent more time in prison than out of it, starting in 1945 as a petty criminal stealing pencils. It was in prison that he met Bruce Reynolds.
By 1963, Biggs had virtually retired from his life of crime, having established a small building firm in Redhill with his business partner Raymond Stripp. He had committed no crime between 1959Â and 1963 and was very much an outsider in the Train Robbery Gang, having been recruited purely to bring the train driver on board.
During the Great Train Robbery trial, a policeman mentions Biggs' previous conviction whilst giving evidence, necessitating a retrial for Biggs.
Biggs was sentenced to 30 years. He escaped from Wandsworth Prison in July 1965 by scaling a 35 foot wall.
Biggs fled to France, Spain, Australia and then Brazil where he made a new life and fathered a son. In old age and ill health he returned to Britain to complete the rest of his 30-year sentence.
Biggs passed away on Wednesday 18 December 2013. You can read his
Clips
Ronnie was a lover who had said goodbye to crime
Jack Gordon explains how Ronnie Biggs had almost said goodbye to crime.
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