Category Archives: Nottinghamshire

A nod to “Hoods” from the dark shadows of “Sherwood”

SEVERAL weeks ago I opened my emails to discover a surprising note of admission from someone I had never met.

The email in question had come from acclaimed writer and dramatist James Graham. He was keen to draw my attention to the second series of his Nottinghamshire-based drama Sherwood, which will air on the BBC this weekend. (August 25th)

James pointed out that he had read “Hoods” and that experience, along with his own personal research with Nottingham’s Violence Reduction unit, had inspired some of the plot lines for Sherwood.

He also revealed that a number of the cast had read “Hoods”, including David Morrissey, “to help develop a sense and an understanding of the city, its history and its gang culture,” as James put it.

Actor David Morrissey reprising his role of Detective Ian St Clair in the upcoming drama Sherwood 2

After replying, somewhat awestruck by these revelations, we organised a zoom call and had a engaging 45 minute chat during which we covered all the topics that Sherwood 2 would raise including the darkness of those early noughties when Nottingham became known, unfairly in my opinion, as “Shottingham”.

That monicker had spread far and wide and to the highest authorities in the land. Only a few months earlier a former senior detective from Nottinghamshire had told me a surprising anecdote arising from a trip down to London to receive his Queen’s Police Medal from the then HRH Prince Charles. While receiving his honour, my source had a brief conversation with the future King.

“He asked me about my work and where I was from,” my source said.

“When I told him, ‘Sir, I am from Nottinghamshire CID,’ Charles replied much to my surprise. ‘Ah I see. Shottingham eh’.”

I was privileged to get a sneak preview of the first episode of Sherwood 2 at the Broadway cinema in Nottingham and, based on that experience, I can confirm that James has, as he did with season one, created a special drama which will resonate with those who lived through the dark days of “Shottingham”. It will also resonate with communities across the UK. In the same way that everything that I wrote about in Hoods was a microcosm of what other communities have faced up and down the UK.

More than that the drama raises lots of talking points about community, how it manifests itself and what happens when communities are ignored or let down by the institutions which are supposed to support it. The lessons I think to be drawn are that serious divisions in society bring nothing but harm and pain. The recent riots in a number of English towns and cities are a case in point.

Like every other viewer I don’t know how Sherwood 2 will play out in it’s plot line but expect a rollercoster ride and a final episode which may offer future hope that from the little acorns of positive work being carried out behind the scenes to reduce despair, anger and violence in these communities, some major oaks will grow and thrive, and offer hope.

Robert Dawes “the victim” ….I don’t think so and nor do our law enforcement officials

Robert Dawes captured on surveillance cameras at airport

GANGSTER Robert Dawes has stepped up his campaign to become a newly anointed  Saint by creating his own website designed to hit back at some of the material I have published about the man described by law enforcement experts as a “highly significant international criminal”.

 
You can view for yourself the case that he puts forward at www.stateurcase.com . However since Dawes’ webpage has been created there have been some new developments. On December 20th 2012 the judge at Court 32 in Madrid decided to re-indite Dawes over the 187 kilos of cocaine seized back in September 2007.


The rogatory letter bungle, which I have previously written about in The Guardian , has been resolved and Judge Jose Santiago Torres Prieto has finally received the evidence he had been asking for from the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency since April 2011. The cause of the delay of the documents remains a mystery however and although Eurojust, the body based in The Hague responsible for passing on the evidence requests is continuing its investigation into the matter, they have so far refused to provide any explanation.


The Spanish version of the indictment can be read from the following link www.scribd.com/doc/246278845/Spanish-Court-Dawes-indictment
The translation states that Dawes was summoned before Court 32 on Boxing day 2011 at 11am. It states that the British authorities have now provided a series of facts and evidence which vindicate all the previous statements made by Karl Hayes, one of Dawes couriers, currently serving a seven and half year sentence in Spain over the cocaine seizure. “specifically the participation in that group of David Wombwell, Andrew Cunliffe, and above all Gavin Dawes, being especially relevant the surveillance carried out by officers from SOCA on 7 August 2007 into Karl Hayes and David Wombwell, as well as the result of David Wombwell’s statement of 31 October 2007, and the payments arising from the notes found in Gavin Dawes’ seized diary, the conclusion is reached that the transfer and the operation were to be carried out in the interest of and under the orders of an organised group under the directions of Robert Dawes.” 
 
Hayes had said in his statements that the operation had been led by Robert Dawes and he had been threatening him (Hayes) “for some time”.
 
The new indictment also states that Dawes has been ordered to pay a bond to the court of just over 7 million Euros against a possible fine if convicted of the drug trafficking offence. The Judge states that Dawes assets will be seized if the bond is not paid.
 
 It now only remains for the Dubai authorities to send their evidence which they seized when Dawes was first arrested at his home in Dubai in June 2008. The details of the search by Dubai police can be found here . (you probably can’t find it here anymore..wait for more news soon 18/02/16)
 
In a separate development it appears that one of Dawes’ closest lieutenants, Raphael Nasr, has left Dubai and made his way to the UK following the Sunday Times article which exposed his business links in April last year with Robert Dawes and Jamil Karzai, nephew of Afghan president Hamid Karzai. Nasr spent some time with friends celebrating Christmas in the UK.
Nasr may be of interest to any of the British authorities investigating Dawes. At one time he held the keys to much of Dawes’ financial transactions.