Brought up in the East End of London, son of a policeman, John was already dabbling in crime by his early teens, ending up at a young offenders' institute, and then a borstal. He'd left home at 15, and the only occupation he knew was theft. John landed a job doing security at concerts, for stars such as Simply Red, Queen, and Bruce Springsteen, and was lured deeper into the world of drugs and crime.
By his 20s, John was well-acquainted with the capital's criminal underworld. Thanks to drug dealing, and racketeering, he lived the classic gangster life of loads of cash, women, sports cars, designer clothes, and a penthouse flat. Violence became a way of life, with his jackets tailored to hold his machete, knuckledusters, and CS gas.
One night, he beat up a guy outside a nightclub, and fled the scene, thinking he'd killed the man. Thankfully, the victim survived - but John finally had to confront the reality of the life he was leading, and something extraordinary happened.
