Crime boss turned author Paul Ferris dies aged 62

Author and former Glasgow gangster Paul Ferris has died, aged 62.According to the Daily Record, the former crime boss died on Tuesday at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), following a short illness.Mr Ferris turned his back on a life of crime after serving time after working as an associate of Arthur “The Godfather” Thompson Sr.Paul Ferris turned to writing after turning his back on a life of crime (Danny Lawson/PA)PA ArchiveFerris was cleared of the 1991 murder of his former boss’ son, Arthur “Fat Boy” Thompson Jr.The crime boss, believing Mr Ferris was responsible, “declared war” on him, and on the day of his son’s funeral, two of Ferris’ friends, Joe Hanlon and Bobby Glover, were found dead.After turning his back on crime, Mr Ferris went on to become an author, having published his debut book, The Ferris Conspiracy, in 2001, co-written with Reg McKay.The Wee Man, starring Martin Compston, was subsequently released in 2013, drawing heavily from Mr Ferris’s debut book.After seeing the film, Mr Ferris previously said: “It was very humbling (to see the film), I thought it was an emotional rollercoaster.“The best way was to be up front and honest about it.Paul Ferris served a seven-year sentence for gun-running (Owen Humphreys/PA)PA Archive“During the first 15-20 minutes of it when I first saw it in London I felt as though I needed fresh air but I didn’t want to give the wrong impression by standing up, because I was sitting at the front.“To walk out might have made other people think: ‘Where’s he going?’ Or: ‘What does he not like about the movie?’“I look back on it and it was trigger mechanisms from my childhood that I’d put to the back of my mind. Watching them unfold on the screen was a bit queasy. I felt like I needed to go for fresh air. I felt claustrophobic. I had that many emotions running through my mind.“I don’t think I was adequately prepared for it. I was the first guy out the door when it finished.”