Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs is given a lifetime achievement award for CRIME

[Perdita]

Ronnie Biggs is to collect a lifetime achievement award for his *services to crime... a year after he was freed early from jail as he had “only weeks to live”.

Friends insist the 81-year-old Great Train Robber will be strong enough to attend this month’s gala dinner, where he will be *presented with a *commemorative *knuckleduster and an engraved shield with the dates of his crimes.

The event is sure to anger the family of train driver Jack Mills who never recovered from his beating in the 1963 train robbery.

A flyer showing a picture of Biggs and ex-Kray associate Roy Shaw on a fake £1 note is publicising the event, called To Rio And Back.

The serial number on the note is 080863 – the date of the £2.6m Great Train Robbery.

Former mobsters Freddie Foreman, *Charlie Richardson and Dave Courtney are among the hardmen intending to go to the £50-a ticket, 500-seater event in Slough, Berks. *

Courtney said: “Ronnie deserves the award as he brought a lot of enjoyment into people’s lives. He was the one that got away.”

A Ministry of Justice source said: “This is rubbing our noses in it. He was said to be seriously ill when released, now he’s off to a gala dinner with his pals.”

Biggs escaped from Wandsworth Prison in 1965 after being convicted of his part in the train robbery but fled to Brazil where he had a son, Michael.

He returned to the UK in 2001 when his health *deteriorated. He was jailed but later freed on *compass- ionate grounds.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/08/01/great-train-robber-ronnie-biggs-is-given-a-lifetime-achievement-award-for-crime-115875-22454707/#ixzz0vL4XefvZ

[Abbie]

Is this a joke?

[Perdita]

Great Train Robbery: Ronnie Biggs dies
Ronnie Biggs, who was a member of the gang that committed the Great Train Robbery 50 years ago, has died at the age of 84

News of Biggs' death comes before two dramas - A Robber's Tale and A Copper's Tale - are due to air on BBC One on Wednesday and Thursday night.

[alan45]

Good riddance. I hope he rots in hell

[deadlydave2]

Just proves that crime doesn't pay, you always end up dieing in the end.

[parkerman]

It was interesting to see the role he played in the Great Train Robbery in the two part TV series this week, i.e. completely insignificant. He was a complete nobody.

[sarah c]

It was interesting to see the role he played in the Great Train Robbery in the two part TV series this week, i.e. completely insignificant. He was a complete nobody.

He was a petty criminal who took the piss out of the system

And to all those who say 'he served his sentence'....he was sentenced to 30 years and served 7? Before being released on his deathbed in 2009??? That's one long death bed!!!!, and he only came back to the uk to 'die' on the NHS!!

[sarah c]

.....

[Abbie]

I have to say after watching the drama I never knew they were sentences to 30 years, I know they didnt serve that long but I do think 30 years was too much

[parkerman]

I'm not sure Jack Mills and his family would agree with you. In the event, of course, they only did about seven years anyway.

[Abbie]

oh yeah I always forget about what happened to him. I think what I find really annoying is why sentence them to so many years when they wont serve it all. I know its like that will all crimes but in this case they only just served under a quarter if their time. And one thing that I thought was interesting was that they all were given lon sentences when some of them played such a small part.
Bare in mind my knowledge of this is only through tv dramas and reading on the internet.

[Abbie]

oh yeah I always forget about what happened to him. I think what I find really annoying is why sentence them to so many years when they wont serve it all. I know its like that will all crimes but in this case they only just served under a quarter if their time. And one thing that I thought was interesting was that they all were given lon sentences when some of them played such a small part.
Bare in mind my knowledge of this is only through tv dramas and reading on the internet.

[sarah c]

oh yeah I always forget about what happened to him. I think what I find really annoying is why sentence them to so many years when they wont serve it all. I know its like that will all crimes but in this case they only just served under a quarter if their time. And one thing that I thought was interesting was that they all were given lon sentences when some of them played such a small part.
Bare in mind my knowledge of this is only through tv dramas and reading on the internet.

I did think one if not some did serve their terms?

It was the escapees that annoy people for bucking the system..

[sarah c]

oh yeah I always forget about what happened to him. I think what I find really annoying is why sentence them to so many years when they wont serve it all. I know its like that will all crimes but in this case they only just served under a quarter if their time. And one thing that I thought was interesting was that they all were given lon sentences when some of them played such a small part.
Bare in mind my knowledge of this is only through tv dramas and reading on the internet.

Did buster Edwards not serve quite a long sentence eventually?

[parkerman]

Did buster Edwards not serve quite a long sentence eventually?

Buster Edwards served 9 years.The longest served was 11-12 years by Gordon Goody, Roy James, Robert Welch, Thomas Wisbey and James Hussey. Biggs served a total of 10 years 10 months.

[parkerman]

Did buster Edwards not serve quite a long sentence eventually?

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