Murder & Mayhem

Behind the glamour… there was brutality.

In Episode 10 of The Krays Web, we confront the escalating violence of the Kray twins — from intimidation and torture to one of the most disputed killings linked to their empire.

As their power grows, so does their reputation for fear — and the line between myth and reality becomes harder to separate.

In this episode:
• Ronnie Kray’s own accounts of violence and intimidation
• Stories of torture, punishment, and control within their circle
• Testimony from associates and those who crossed the twins
• The escape of Frank “The Mad Axman” Mitchell from Dartmoor
• What happened after his disappearance — and conflicting accounts of his death
• Allegations, denials, and the mystery that remains unsolved

Why it matters:
This episode exposes the true scale of violence behind the Krays’ empire — and explores a case that remains one of the most controversial and unresolved in their history.

Follow the show for more deep-dive episodes into the truth behind the Kray twins.

Next episode: A public execution — the murder of George Cornell and the beginning of the end.

Links to Resources

 Check out my website for resources used and social media links : thekraysweb.com

 Contact me : wendyceepods@gmail.com

 Music by Captain Fat Hands captainfathands.com

Transcript

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Wendy Cee 0:23

Welcome to the Krays Web, a podcast about the infamous Kray twins and those associated with them. I'm your host, Wendy C, and this is season one, The Krays, episode 10, Murder and Mayhem. Please note that there is some swearing in this podcast and descriptions of violence. I'll be adding specific trigger warnings where needed. The voices that you hear throughout the podcast are all my family and friends who have rallied around to help me to make this podcast more enjoyable for you to listen to. I've used lots of sources when writing these episodes, far too many to list here, but details of which you'll be able to find on my website, the crazeweb.com. The Krays had a good life. They had a number of successful businesses, they had money, affording them top-of-the-range cars, handmade tailored suits, lashings of gold jewellery, expensive watches, and personal drivers. They went to extravagant parties and hung out with A-list celebrities of the time. People knew who they were and they thrived on the attention. But it was a much darker side to the twins. We have talked multiple times about Ronnie's mental health issues, which meant that he was unstable and unpredictable. He could be charming, fun, and generous, but if you crossed him, or if he got out of the wrong side of bed, it was a very different story. There are numerous accounts of Ronnie losing his temper and lashing out. Please remember, as always, that all memories I include are from the books that I have read and interviews that I've conducted, and that these are people's recollections of what happened. Of course, it is over sixty years ago that some of these events happened, so recollections and memories may vary or change over time, and in some cases stories can be embellished for effect. As a storyteller, it is not my place to judge. As a listener, you can come to your own conclusions. In Ronnie Kray's book My Story, he gives a couple of examples, though he does say We only handed out punishment when it was deserved. He talks about when he was in a pub one night, a man called him a fat slob.

Ronnie Kray 2:38

So I went to the toilet and I told someone to pass a message to him that I wanted a quiet word in private. As he came into the toilet, I slashed him with a knife. He had to have plastic surgery.

Wendy Cee 2:49

Another time a man who was straight with no criminal connections came to see Ronnie because his daughter's nose had been broken by a man who she refused to have sex with. The police weren't interested. So the father was looking for someone to help. He went to the right place. Ronnie knew exactly who he was talking about.

Ronnie Kray 3:07

So I phoned this fellow up and told him I wanted to meet him at Esmeralda's barn. He fell for it. He thought because it was me calling him, he was going to be given a job to earn himself some money. But he was a dirty little rat. So I thought I would set an example with him for the whole of the East End. And I did. I taught him a lesson he would never forget with a hot poker. If he's alive today, then he'll still have the scars.

Wendy Cee 3:37

Lenny Hamilton in his book Branded had first hand experience of Ronnie's violence. He recounts two incidents with Ronnie Kray. The first happened while he was having a drink with a few friends at DeMarble Meuse in Soho. One of the guys they were drinking with was a man by the name of Harry Burford.

Albert Donahue 3:54

According to Lenny, Harry recently had some business with the Krays concerning a stolen lorry carrying a high load of Scotch and Moare. They had a disagreement about the money and uh the load subsequently fell out.

Wendy Cee 4:09

So anyway, they are all sat around having a drink and a laugh when Harry is told that he is wanted outside. Not believing he had anything to worry about, off he went. A few minutes later it is suggested to the remaining group that they might want to follow to see what is going on. Curious, they head outside where they see Ronnie, Reggie, and some of the firm running down Darbley Mews onto Darbley Street. They look down, and there is Harry.

Albert Donahue 4:34

Harry was on the floor, he had received a severe beating and had been cut down on one side of his face and across his backside, a favourite method of punishment at the time, as the stitches will break every time the victim sat down.

Wendy Cee 4:46

The second incident that Lenny recounts shows that just a tiny event could set Ronnie off. Lenny went to the Regency Club in Hackney to see if any of the firm were there, as he and a mate had a nice little job and needed some extra hands for it. He went downstairs, and there was Fat Pat talking to a young couple, Bonner and his girlfriend. Pat bought the first drink, then some other men in the bar sent over a drink. It was looking to be a good evening. It was Lenny's turn for a round, so he ordered Bonner a drink and asked his partner, What'd you like to drink, love? With that, Bonner pulled out a razor and tried to cut Lenny, and would likely have succeeded if Pat hadn't grabbed his wrist. Bonner put the blade back in his pocket, and the evening carried on, as if nothing had happened. That was until Bonner asked for a quiet word in the gents. This is Lenny's recollection of what happened next.

Albert Donahue 5:36

I felt a bit sorry for him, so I said okay, but as I led the way to the toilet, someone shouted, Watch your back. As I turned, Bonner was just about to cut me down the back with his razor. I dived at the toilet door and lucky for me it went inwards. I fell to the floor, but Bonner was coming out at me with the razor still in hand and I got to my feet and I threw a punch, catching him smack in the middle of the nose. There was blood everywhere.

Wendy Cee 6:01

The club minder arrived, warning Lenny there would be murders over this, and suggested it would be a good time for Lenny to leave. You're probably wondering what this has to do with Ronnie Kray. Well, that was not the end of the evening for Lenny. His housemate Andy Paul, who was a minder for the Krays, came home around 1 a.m. and woke Lenny up saying, Ronnie Kray wants you to phone him. Lenny says, Not now, Andy, it's 1 a.m. I'll go and see him at Valence Road in the morning. But Andy is insistent that he shouldn't leave it, as you know what Ronnie's like. So Lenny gets up and walks up the road to the phone box. Remember, most homes didn't have a home phone at this time, and there were no mobile phones. Ronnie tells Lenny to get a cab to Esmerelda's barn now, and Ronnie will pay for the cab. So arriving around two in the morning, Lenny asked the cab to wait. Is he sure he won't be long? It was just a quick chat with Ronnie after all. But Lenny was wrong. Very, very wrong. In his words.

Albert Donahue 7:01

I walked into the club, the bar was shut, and the men were standing on both sides of the wall without drinks in their hands. Gambling tables were all closed, and as I got halfway through the club, I I sensed something was wrong. Couldn't turn back, it was too late. So through there, Len gestured one of the men.

Wendy Cee 7:17

Lenny walked through and found himself in a room with Ronnie Kray and about twelve other men. Still unsure exactly why he had been summoned, Lenny took a seat in an armchair and waited to hear what Ronnie had to say.

Albert Donahue 7:30

Ronnie mumbled something about hurting a pella there as I said, I don't know what you're talking about. Right then his face changed, and he told two big blokes to hold me. Then he moved. He turned around and I saw that he was standing in front of a gas range cooker, and I could see pokers on the gas, which were white hot.

Wendy Cee 7:48

Ronnie grabbed one of the pokers and stabbed Lenny with it, burning through his shirt and jacket. He then proceeded to burn Lenny's hair off, followed by his suit before stabbing Lenny in the left cheek.

Albert Donahue 8:06

The pain was excruciating. For a moment I thought he was going to stop, but then he put the poker back on the same cheek.

Wendy Cee 8:13

Ronnie stopped and returned to the cooker to get another poker. Lenny had a moment to gather his thoughts. The pain was almost unbearable. The smell of burning flesh in the air made him feel sick. He thought Ronnie was going to kill him. Ronnie turned around with another poker in his hand and roared. Lenny couldn't speak, but one of the henchmen in the room shouted out, No Ron, not that, which seemed to snap Ronnie out of his rage, and he retreated, calmly saying, Okay, you can go now. Lenny later found out that that young man he had had a running with in the club was Bonner Ward, son of Buller Ward, a well-known London villain. Buller and his henchmen had apparently gone looking for Lenny armed with guns. When they couldn't find him, they had gotten word to the craze, and Ronnie decided to take matters into his own hands. Reggie also had a violent streak, though he wasn't as temperamental as Ronnie. In an old library copy of Reggie's book, Born Fighter, that I purchased through eBay, I found a handwritten footnote on one of the pages. Reggie mentions borrowing the first three months' rent for a club premises from a car dealer he knew called Johnny Hutton. The handwritten footnote reads John was a good mate of mine in Walthamstow, E17, Markhouse Autos. The craz later asked him for protection money. He fucked them off. They sent Jack the Hat to shoot him. A gunfight ensued. It failed, so Ron and Reg went there and shot him twice. He lived okay. This was just before they got thirty years. I've never seen it in any book. John never grasped, and for that, Reg and Ron sent him Christmas cards. I wonder how many others were never mentioned. It is signed the Cockney Noddy doing eight. Ronnie definitely had a temper, and the men that he hung around with were too scared to intervene and stop him when he got into a violent rage. There are a few stories like this of Ronnie seemingly losing control and torturing people. And of course, we cannot be sure exactly how many people were hurt by the craze, as many incidents were just not reported. We do know that at that time there was a lot of violence, and we also know that the Krays were unlikely to get their hands dirty unless they had to. That's what the firm were for. But there are three incidents that we are aware of where violence turned to murder. We're going to start with Frank, the mad axman Mitchell, who the Krays until their dying day denied being involved with, though others have come forward with a different story. As we discuss each of these murders, I'll be using accounts from various people to try and piece together exactly what happened. As with the other episodes, I'm using voice actors to help you distinguish between them. Ronnie has always denied any involvement in the murder of Frank Mitchell.

Ronnie Kray 11:10

The truth of the matter is, me and Reg know who killed Frank Mitchell, and it wasn't us.

Wendy Cee 11:15

Frank had a difficult life. He was in and out of mental institutions and prisons from an early age, and had spent 18 of his 32 years detained. He was a huge man, strong and intimidating, making him a force to be reckoned with. Frank was also extremely resourceful. He managed to escape from both Broadmoor and Rampton by turning the springs in his mattress into a key. Unfortunately, while on the run, he broke into the house of a couple living near Broadmoor and scared them half to death.

Ronnie Kray 11:44

According to Ronnie Kray, he nearly frightened them to death by making them sit and have a cup of tea and watch the television with him. Problem was, he had an axe bandanced on his knee at the time. That's how we got the name, the mad axeman.

Wendy Cee 11:57

When Frank was recaptured, he was sent to Dartmoor in Devon, which the police believed nobody could ever escape from. Frank and his mate Frank Benson had the life of Riley during their time in Dartmoor. It was more like a holiday camp for them than a prison. They would wander in and out, more or less as they liked. They would go and ride ponies across the moors. Frank Mitchell was even meeting a local teacher for sex in a nearby barn on a regular basis. And once him and Frank even took a taxi into close by Oakhampton and bought a budgery gar. It seemed that as long as the Franks were back in their cells by lights out, the prison guards turned a blind eye. Frank was in Dartmoor for nine years before he started to get annoyed that his case wasn't being reviewed and approached the twins to help him to escape, and they did. So the wheels were set in motion. On the twelfth of december nineteen sixty six, Frank was to be sprung from prison. After a few teething problems were ironed out, like them having nowhere for him to hide out, and the two men being sent to pick him up admitting neither of them held a valid driving licence, they were all set. The events of the pickup from Dartmoor Devon are told by Albert Donahue in his book The Krays Lieutenant.

Albert Donahue 13:08

The pickup itself was given to me because I hadn't visited Frank for months, so I was unlikely to be identified. The driver would be a completely strange face, mad Teddy Smith, who'd never been down at all. So early on Monday of the twelfth of December, me and Teddy headed off to Devon in a grey umber, which Billy Exley had hired. We found the pickup point with no difficulty at all. It was a phone box by a T junction close to the elephant's nest public house, near Pete Tavy. We had to meet him there at midday at just ten past twelve he came walking around the corner. He was all on his own, and he got straight in the car.

Wendy Cee 13:48

Albert says Frank wasn't excited, he was just quiet and relieved, as well as being a little confused and surprised that Ronnie had kept his word. They drove off immediately expecting to be followed at any moment, but there was nothing. Frank changed in the car from his prison shirt, old khaki Anarak, blue jeans, scarf, beret, and gum boots, into a suit, shirt, tie, and shoes that had been acquired from Big Tommy Brown, an ex fighter who was the only person the Krays knew that was anywhere near the same size as Frank. Albert took Frank's clothes along with a large handmade knife that Frank had brought along for self defence and threw them over a hedge. They were already in Fulham, London, a couple of hundred miles away when Frank's escape made the news, four and a half hours after they had picked him up. Albert phoned Reggie, who was at Valance Road, to give him the news, using the code That Horse One. The plan was to take Frank to Priscilla Road in Bow, to the home of Nobby Clark's parents, but when they arrived, Nobby took one look at Frank and changed his mind, claiming his dad was unwell. So they headed off to Barking Road instead, to the home of Lenny Dunn, known as Lenny the Books, because he had a bookstall.

Ronnie Kray 15:07

Ronnie says, On the 12th of December 1966, we had him picked up by a car and in a prison. Frank was with a working party and he just quietly walked away. By the time the stupid bastard realised he was gone, he was 200 odd miles away in London. We put him up at a flat in Barkin, owned by a friend of ours called Lenny Dunn.

Wendy Cee 15:29

Albert and Teddy dropped Frank off around 6 p.m. and headed home, shattered after a long and adrenaline-filled day. Frank spent the next couple of weeks in the flat in the company of other firm members and a pretty young lady called Lisa Prescott, who had been lauded to the flat from a local nightclub with the promise of money to keep Frank busy. Letters were written to the home secretary asking for his case to be reviewed with copies sent to the Daily Mail and the Times. But Frank was getting restless. His moods were becoming more and more erratic. He was like a caged animal when his moods were affecting everybody. Yes, he had Lisa who could keep him happy in the bedroom, but the rest of the time he was getting restless.

Albert Donahue 16:16

Albert says During the night one of the guards woke up to see Frank standing over him with a knife. This incident was instantly reported to the twins, who soon had a lot more to worry about. Frank had been getting increasingly upset about what he considered their lack of respect. Reggie had come to see him just once, while Ronnie, who'd made all the grand promises, had not come near him at all. So Frank said, Well tell 'em that if they don't come round here, I shall go round there to Valence Road, and that upset em.

Wendy Cee 16:48

It was starting to dawn on the twins that they couldn't control Frank, and they were getting angry with him, his moods, and his threats. They considered emptying the flat of everyone except Frank and then tipping off the police. But they were the ones who had arranged his escape, so they would be in trouble if he grasped. Albert says that Ronnie had wanted Frank out of prison because they needed extra muscle against the Richardsons, but now that they were locked up, he wasn't needed.

Albert Donahue 17:14

Albert then says Everything I say about the Mitchell affair from here on has been denied by those I accuse of conspiring to kill him. When it came to court, they were acquitted. Some were never put on trial. The way it all happened meant there could never be any hard evidence to support my story, unless one of the conspirators had a brainstorm and confessed. But I know what I saw and heard in the coming days, especially in the next few hours.

Wendy Cee 17:39

Albert goes on to say that on the twenty third of December, Scotch Jack told the twins about Frank's latest threat. By lunchtime there was a meeting in a flat in Hackney Road that belonged to Harry Hopwood, an old friend of the Kray's parents. Albert was there with Reggie and Charlie Kray. When Freddie Foreman arrived, Harry and Albert were left outside while the others had a meeting. It was decided to move Frank. Albert was then given his instructions from Charlie.

Albert Donahue 18:06

I've got to split him from Lisa, I've got to get him out of the flat. I'll be met by some guys in a van, and they'll be taking him down to Kent to a farm where he'll spend Christmas with Ronnie. Then the pair of him will discuss getting him abroad.

Wendy Cee 18:20

So later that day Albert met up with Freddy Foreman, Alfie Gerard, Jerry Callahan, and a fourth man to brief them on Frank. The plan was that they would park in a van round the corner from the flat. Albert would then bring Frank down from the flat, and they would get him in the van and away as quickly as possible so that he wouldn't be seen. So Albert goes back to Frank, explains that he needs to be moved for his own safety, and Frank takes it well, says his goodbyes to Lisa and packs his meagre belongings. He is ready for a change of scenery. I'll let Albert take the story from here.

Albert Donahue 18:53

It's now time, so I go outside to make sure they're there, as arranged. I see an old Thames van, either blue or black, it is difficult to tell at night. It's double parked about twenty yards down on the left hand side away from the main road. Then I go back in, tell him they're here, Frank. Bring him out down the path five yards to the street. As we turn right to go round the corner, who should come along but a copper on the beat?

Wendy Cee 19:18

They successfully navigate the police and approach the van. Jerry Callahan is standing on the pavement, opening the back doors for Frank to get in. He sits on the wheel casing, inside the back of the van are Freddie Foreman and Alfie Gerard. As Albert goes to sit next to Frank, he's told to go right to the front and direct the driver through the little partition, which he thinks is weird as they got there okay, but he does as he's told. The fan door is shut. Jerry Callahan goes around and gets in the passenger seat, and as he slams the passenger door, while Albert is talking through the partition to the driver, he says he hears Pow, pow, pow.

Albert Donahue 19:56

The guns start off behind me. I don't know till late that slamming the door is a signal to the two guns. They just keep popping the man. He comes off the casing on his knees, then he falls back, and these bullets are going all over him. Then he goes still, and one of the guys, Foreman, leans over and puts through more shots in and around the art. You can see the shirt jumping.

Wendy Cee 20:18

The van is moving, Frank's body is still and quiet. Albert is sat staring in disbelief at what he has just witnessed, unsure of what to do next. All he can think is that he's going to be next. So he takes a chance, he figures he's got nothing to lose.

Albert Donahue 20:35

I say, hopefully, and without a quiver of nerves in my voice, right, drop me off here, and all you've got to do is a left and the tunnel's up on your left. So the back door is opened and I get out, and I start walking away. I'm still waiting for one in the back of the nut, but when I hear the vans pull off, that's it, I'm pleased. Boy am I pleased. Not pleased for poor Frank, but pleased for myself.

Wendy Cee 21:01

Albert walked back to the flat, fanning his coat along the way because he could smell the gunshot on him. Lisa, Lenny and Scotch Jack were waiting when he returned, asking if Frank was alright because they thought they heard shots. Albert assured them everything was fine, and then called Reggie at Valence Road to let him know all was clear, giving the prearranged phrase that dog has won. During the call, Reggie said he wanted to see Lisa, and Albert would be collected with her and taken to Sam Lederman's flat, an associate of the Krays, whose flat they occasionally used. Albert remembers the fear he had for Lisa. He had words with her before they left to try and protect her.

Albert Donahue 21:38

So stop talking about the shots, I said. Shut up about the shots. Just say Frank's gone to the country and you might be going later. If you start talking about shots, you're gonna go swimming, you'll be in the river. Lisa wasn't stupid, and she got the point.

Wendy Cee 21:54

Connie Whitetail had arrived to drive Albert and Lisa to see Reggie, and during the journey, Lisa turned to Albert. Albert and said, When it's my turn, will you do it? 'Cause I think you'll do it quick. Poor girl, can you imagine what she must have been thinking at that moment? Reggie tells Lisa not to tell anybody anything otherwise, if you do, we will find you no matter where you go. Freddie Foreman corroborates Albert's version of what happened to Frank Mitchell. He said of Frank in his book The Godfather of British Crime. They were losing sleep, and he was becoming a real threat. He wanted to go out at night with a mask on his face, saying he wouldn't be recognised. He would demonstrate his strength by heaving up his minders by their belts and doing a hundred press-ups after having it off with his bird all day and night. Freddy goes on to say The final straw came when Mitchell said of the twins, I'll hold your mother responsible if anything happens to me. Freddy describes going to the flat to meet with the Krays to discuss dealing with their problem, and says that as far as he was aware, Albert Donohue was fully aware of the plan and knew that Frank was to be killed. Freddy says The operation to get rid of Mitchell went smoothly. It was a shame that more than two years later, Donohue decided to grass on us. There was no need to do that. He did not have to name names, although I have some sympathy for him, inasmuch as the twins wanted him to take the sole blame for Mitchell's death. He goes on to say.

Reggie Kray 24:56

Yes, he and three Greeks were responsible for murdering Frank. They'd been trying to get him out of the country with a false passport on the 23rd of December, but for various reasons, an argument started between Exley and Mitchell. Exley and the Greeks pulled out guns and shot Mitchell several times.

Wendy Cee 25:15

Nobody has ever been convicted of the murder of Frank the Mad Axman Mitchell. From everything I've read, it sounds like Frank was a gentle giant to most, who had some learning difficulties and potentially some mental health issues. His size and strength meant that he was a threat and difficult to manage, and it seems that this ultimately led to his murder. The books reference were all written at different times of people's lives. If Ronnie and Reggie were alive today and were asked what happened to Frank Mitchell, maybe their stories would now be different. We will never know. Thank you for listening to The Krays Web. This was episode 10, Murder and Mayhem. Next week, in episode 11, The Murder of George Cornell, I will be discussing the night that Ronnie Kray killed George Cornell. Finally, I would just like to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped me to put this podcast together. Please check out the show notes on my website for more information on the books and reference material that I used for my research. Until next time, stay safe.