Gangland figure Dave Courtney was found dead in his bed yesterday after shooting himself in the head.
The tenant discovered the 64-year-old former TV actor and showman with a pillow over his face to muffle the sound.
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Dave Courtney was found dead in his bed after shooting himself in the head Credit: Scott Hornby – The Sun
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Dave smiles as he watches his beloved Charlton Athletic in his latest social media post Credit: Instagram/@davidcourtneyobe
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Police outside Courtney’s home nicknamed Camelot CastleCredit: Gary Stone
He was said to have put on a glove before firing the Glock 9mm pistol at his south London home.
The day before he died, he went with friends to watch Charlton Athletic beat Reading 4-0 in a League One match.
The extreme former crime kingpin, who has written six books and appeared in films and documentaries, shared the footage on Facebook.
He wrote: “At Charlton today. A three-course meal is totally working today.”
He added, “And what a cool, cool day it will all be.”
One friend said: “They stayed up until 4am drinking and went to bed. Around 11am his lodger and friend Brendan went to look in Dave’s bedroom as it was very quiet.
“He found Dave in bed with a pillow over his face and he had been shot in the head.
“The first impression was that you took your own life. But the police have to be sure and are investigating.”
The road was cordoned off with a policeman covering the entrance.
Officers carried out forensic examinations and described the death as “unexpected”.
Courtney’s £650,000 terraced house in Plumstead was nicknamed Camelot Castle and included huge murals depicting him in armour, sitting on a warhorse or on a knucklebone throne.
Tearful neighbor Sheila Wellcome, 68, told The Sun: “I saw Dave around 8pm.
“We knew Dave was in a lot of pain with terrible arthritis. He could barely roll a cigarette.
“But he seemed in good spirits. I handed him a cigarette over the wall, and he laughed and joked.”
She said Dave was in possession of about 12 discarded firearms – including pistols, shotguns and rifles.
She added: “Police came periodically and checked them. To Dave, they were just decorations.”
Market friend Chris Collins, 52, laid flowers at the scene.
He said: “The world is a worse place today after losing Dave.
“He had the scariest phone book this side of the moon, let me tell you – but he was an absolute gentleman. He didn’t want to miss a single minute of his life. He was afraid he would miss it.”
Friends said Courtney had been suffering from money problems, ill health and family disputes in recent months.
A family statement said: “Dave tragically took his own life in the early hours of this morning with a firearm at his home at Camelot Castle in Plumstead. Details of funeral arrangements will be provided in due course.”
Amid the tributes pouring in on social media yesterday, Pat Courtney simply wrote: “RIP bruv.”
After turning his back on a life of crime, Courtney wrote about being shot and having to kill to stay alive.
He claimed connections to gang legends such as Reggie Kray and Lenny McLean — and arranged for security at Kray’s funeral in 1995.
But Essex Boys associate Bernard O’Mahoney and Frankie Fraser, a former member of Richardson’s terrifying 1960s gang, accused Courtney of fabricating and embellishing his past.
Courtney was married to Jennifer Lucrea Pinto, whom he met while working at a nightclub.
But their relationship fell apart in 2004, when Courtney was accused of beating her during an argument over her then-lesbian lover. He was acquitted of all charges.
Courtney served a prison term at the tough Belmarsh Nick, but avoided jail in 2009 after being charged with two firearms offences.
The Met’s homicide squad is not investigating his death.
They’re leaving it up to the local cops to deal with, suggesting they don’t believe it’s suspicious.
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Courtney and the performance he promoted in 1993. Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
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Grieving family and friends gather outside his houseCredit: Gary Stone
You are not alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It does not discriminate, it touches the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and football players.
It is the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, deadlier than cancer and traffic accidents.
And men are three times more likely to take their own lives than women.
Yet it’s rarely talked about, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage if we don’t all stop and pay attention now.
That’s why The Sun launched the You Are Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all help save lives.
Let’s all pledge to ask for help when we need it, and listen to others… You are not alone.
If you or anyone you know needs help with mental health issues, the following organizations offer support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education