Charles James Kray, Jr.

The eldest of the three Kray Brothers, Charles Kray was born at 64 Stene Street, Hoxton, East London. Just before the War, the family moved to 178 Vallance Road, in Bethnal Green. Charles boxed as a welterweight for the Royal Navy against the Army and the Air Force. He married a lady named Dolly, with whom he had a son named Gary, and went into the furniture business. However, he became drawn into the activities of his twin brothers; and, in March 1969, this culminated in his receiving a ten year sentence for helping to dispose of the corpse of Jack "The Hat" McVitie, although Charlie always denied any involvement. After his release in 1975, he tried various ventures, including property development, managing a pop group, demonstrating cutlery at the Ideal Home Exhibition, and acting as Technical Adviser for the film "The Krays". In 1997, however, one year after Gary died of AIDS, Charlie was arrested for attempting to smuggle £39m worth of cocaine into the country, of offering the drug to an undercover policeman, and of supplying 2 kilos at £63,500. He denied this, and his barrister, Jonathan Goldberg, Q.C., described him as "an old fool, a pathetic old has-been, an utterly washed-up figure made to appear something he is not at all." Nonetheless, he was found guilty, and sentenced to twelve years at Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, which made him the oldest prisoner in Great Britain in maximum security. In March 2000, he collapsed and was moved to St. Mary's Hospital in Newport ; where, one month later, in the presence of his girlfriend Diane (he had divorced Dolly for her adultery with George Ince) he died. (bio by: [fg.cgi?page=mr&MRid=46514200" target="_blank Iain MacFarlaine)] Cause of death: Heart Disease

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jan 22 2018, 5:30:37 UTC