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Peckham Boys

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The Peckham Boys, also referred to as Black Gang (due to its association with the colour black),[7] is a multi-generational gang based in Peckham, South London.[8][9] The gang is particularly prominent for its members prolific activity in music. Giggs, once a member of the SN1 set, is generally credited with popularising the British gangsta rap style known as road rap.[10][11] Giggs would proceed to have a successful musical career, and re-form SN1 as a record label.[12] In 2011, Peckham Boys rapper Stigs was given the first ever gang injunction, banning him from making any music that may encourage violence.[13] Stigs was at the time allegedly a member of Anti GMG. In 2011, Southwark Council identified three sets of the Peckham Boys, PYG, Anti GMG and SN1, as the most active gangs in the Peckham area.[14]

Peckham Boys
Founded1990s
Founding locationPeckham, South London, England
Years active1997–present
TerritoryPeckham (SE15), Walworth (SE17), Camberwell (SE5)
EthnicityBlack British
Criminal activitiesDrug trafficking, arms trafficking, robbery, murder, attempted murder, assault, extortion, stabbing
AlliesCWS, T-Block,[1] ABM (All Bout Money),[2][3] Firehouse Crew,[4] OTB,[3] Wooly Road Youngers[4]
RivalsBrooklyn, GAS Gang, Ghetto Boys, OC (Organised Crime), Roadside G's[3][5][6]

History

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Origins

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Nigel Cawthorne's "The World's Most Evil Gangsters" suggests Peckham's rivalries with its neighbours in Lewisham and Brixton date back to the 1950s, where local school boys would clash regularly. Brixton suffered much damage during the Blitz, leading to an exodus of affluent people, leaving behind unoccupied housing. Following WW2, new housing estates were built in Brixton, and immigrants from the Caribbean were able to move into the estates and now cheap housing of Brixton. Many kids in Brixton, and Peckham, would go to Kingsdale School in the wealthy area of Dulwich, in contrast to locals of Dulwich who preferred sending their kids to private schools and grammar schools. Nigel's book further suggests that Peckham kids at the time were predominantly of African (particularly Nigerian), rather than Caribbean, descent, which in turn caused a cultural clash with Brixton kids and led to regular fights between the two groups. Gangs of kids from the school also harassed students from affluent private schools, in turn adding to protests held by local residents that called, unsuccessfully, for the school's closure.[15]

In time, these gangs became more established, with each generation replacing the older one. In the 1970s, gangs such as the Gloucester Grove Boys and the Night Jackyls were both based in Gloucester Grove estate, Peckham. This continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s, when there were the North Peckham Boys (based in North Peckham estate), Yellow Brick Massive (based in Bells Gardens estate, Peckham), Peckham Grove Boys (based in Peckham Grove estate), Outlaws Crew, and Acorn Crew (based in Acorn Estate, Peckham).[15][16][17]

By the mid-1990s, some of these groups began to consolidate themselves and spread around Peckham, with the main gang now being the Peckham Boys Gangstaz. Underneath them was the Younger Peckham Boyz (YPB) for members in their mid- to late teens, and the Tiny Peckham Boyz (TPB) for the early and pre-teens.[15]

Early 2000s

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In the early 2000s, the gang was sub-divided into various subsets. Each subset generally coincided with a particular age group. The PK (Peckham Kids) set had pre-teens, YYPB (Younger Younger Peckham Boys) had early to mid-teens, YPB (Younger / Young Peckham Boys) had mid- to late teens, while the Peckham Boys set had ages ranging from 18 to 25. There was a more unofficial grouping for the older members.[10][16]

On 27 November 2000, two members of the Young Peckham Boys, 13-year-old Ricky Gavin Preddie and his 12-year-old brother Danny Charles Preddie, murdered 10-year-old Damilola Taylor by stabbing him with a broken glass beer bottle during an attempted robbery on the stairs of a tower block in the North Peckham Estate.[18]

Mid 2000s: peak conflict with the Ghetto Boys

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By the mid-2000s, the names of the various subsets had begun to change again and be replaced by SN1 (Spare No-1, formerly Peckham Boys, who were now the older generation), PYG (Pecknarm Young Gunners, formerly YYPB), SI (Shoot Instant, formerly YPB), OPB (Original Peckham Boys), DFA (Don't Fuck Around or Drugz Fundz Armz), CBM (Crane Block Massive), YBM (Yellow Brick Massive), PK (Pecknarm Killaz), and the Lettsom G'z (L.G).[10][16][19][20]

In October 2004, the Peckham Boys and Ghetto Boys had an infamous shootout outside the Urban Music Awards, held in the Barbican Centre, London. During the shootout at least 18[21] shots were exchanged. One stray shot hit an innocent bystander, Helen Kelly. The underwire of her bra deflected the bullet, preventing fatal injury.[22] Linton Ambursley from Lewisham, a Ghetto Boys member, was jailed for 12 years after admitting wounding with intent.[23]

On 17 September 2006, a man was shot and stabbed to death on the Woodpecker Estate in New Cross by the Peckham Boys, after being mistaken for a member of the Ghetto Boys. He was attacked by a group of approximately thirty Peckham Boys, who had travelled to New Cross on bicycles.[24] As of 2010 the murder remains unsolved, as do five other recent murders on the Woodpecker Estate.[25] That same night, a man was chased in Deptford by approximately 30 to 40 youths before being stabbed, but survived.[26]

In November 2006, the Peckham Boys made it into the list of Time Out magazine's top 100 'Movers and Shakers' for the year 2006. It is a list of the most influential groups or organisations in London.[27]

Late 2000s

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In September 2007, a leader of the Peckham Boys named Marlon Granderson (who's street name was 'Raver') was jailed after being found in possession of a MAC-10 submachine gun, three Makarov handguns, two silencers, 379 rounds of ammunition, 60 thousand fake ecstasy pills, 10 ounces of cannabis and thousands of pounds' worth of cocaine.[28] Grandison had tried to escape conviction by claiming the items actually belonged to his friend Anthony Williams, who was stabbed to death the year before outside a kebab shop.[29] Although the handguns were linked to six unsolved gangland shootings via firearm forensics, the police could not prove that Grandison had fired them, however he was found guilty of possession of firearms and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 10 years.[30]

In September 2008, police conducted dawn raids on suspected members of the Peckham Boys gang. It is believed that the group conducted 120 robberies in what police have called a "prolific" criminal enterprise. The gang are believed to have used knives, machetes, crowbars, guns and heavy screwdrivers to ensure that their operations were successful. Those arrested were between their mid-20s and mid-30s.[31][32]

In October 2008, during an exchange of shots between a member of the Ghetto Boys and a Peckham Boys member, Polish care worker Magda Pniewska was hit by a stray bullet and died. The shootout occurred in New Cross.[33]

In July 2009, a 13-year-old boy was stabbed five times in Camberwell by the OC (Organised Crime) Gang, in a street battle with the PYG Gang from Peckham.[34]

In September 2009, a member of the Brixton-based OC gang was jailed for shooting a bystander dead, when attempting to murder two youths from the PYG gang. The attack was in retaliation for an incident earlier that day, in which an OC member was shot by PYG.[citation needed]

Early 2010s

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By 2010/2011, the sets of the Peckham Boys once again began to change. Crane Block (located in Pelican Estate, Peckham) and the Lettsom G'z (located in Lettsom Estate, Peckham) split away from PYG and Shoot Instant (SI). The latter two would end up merging into Anti GMG (GMG stands for "Get Money and Guns" or "Guns, Murder, and Girls"[35]).[14][16]

In August 2010, the Metropolitan Police announced that they had convicted several members of the Shoot Instant Gang (an offshoot of the Peckham Boys), on charges of dealing class A drugs. The convictions were a result of a raid on Southwark-based gang members, in which a total of 80 people were arrested.[36]

On 6 September 2010, a member of the Peckham Boys, George Ogaba, aka Taz (Young Taz/ G.O), was killed after his motorcycle was rammed by a car in Peckham. His death followed an earlier non-fatal shooting on the Lettsom Estate in Camberwell.[37] Hours later, Rio McFarlane was visiting a makeshift shrine for George, when he was murdered in a drive-by shooting. Rio McFarlane was friends with the footballer Rio Ferdinand.[38]

In December 2010, seventeen-year-old Sylvester Akapalara was shot dead in a tower block called Heron House on the Pelican Estate in Peckham. Akapalara was caught up in a claimed gang related dispute.[39] It was initially reported that the youths who committed the murder were members of Brixton-based GAS Gang, but this was later found to be incorrect. They were, in fact, members of GMG. The youths involved in the murder were themselves from Peckham, and had been seen in Anti GMG videos.[16][40] Nineteen-year-old David Nyamupfukudza (also known as Tiny Nutty[16]) was sentenced to a minimum of 26 years in jail for the murder.[41] Twenty-year-old Sodiq Adeojo (also known as Jungle[16]) was sentenced to 30 years for his involvement in the murder.[40] The GMG gang also warned Peckham residents against snitching.[40]

In April 2011, a member of the Peckham Boys, 'Kyze' and 'JJ', was jailed for shooting a rival in the arm with a Glock pistol. The individual is said to have links with the rapper Giggs.[42]

In July 2011, a member of the Peckham Boys was jailed for a minimum of 32 years for arranging an execution from his prison cell.[43] Ola Apena, linked to the 'Shoot Instant' branch of the Peckham Boys,[44] arranged the execution-style murder and burning of teenager Samuel Ogunro in 2010, to prevent him from snitching.

In February 2012, three members of the Peckham Boys received life imprisonment for the murder of 18-year-old Daniel Graham in East Dulwich. The victim was stabbed 24 times by the GMG set of the gang, on a main road in full view of passengers on a 176 bus and passing traffic.[35]

In February 2012, a member of the SN1 set of the Peckham Boys was jailed for eight years, for causing over £1 million worth of damage during the 2011 London riots.[45]

In May 2012, two members of the GMG set of the Peckham Boys were jailed for life, for the murder of 17-year-old athlete Sylvester Akapalara and attempted murder of two others. The GMG gang also warned Peckham residents against snitching.[46]

In April 2014, a man was sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in prison for the shooting of Rio MacFarlane in Peckham. The victim was an innocent bystander in a shootout between the PYG and Lettsom Boys.[47]

Mid 2010s-present

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In the mid-late 2010s, a new Peckham-based group emerged known as Zone 2. The group sometimes refers to itself as 'Peckham Boys', and references the Peckham Boys in its music.[48][49]

In 2019, a fictional story based on the conflict between the Peckham Boys and Ghetto Boys was depicted in the film Blue Story.[50]

References

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  1. ^ Cawthorne, Nigel (2010). The World's Most Evil Gangsters. John Blake Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-78418-433-9.
  2. ^ Simon, Harding (2014). Street Casino: Survival in violent street gangs. Policy Press. p. 310. ISBN 978-1-4473-1720-3.
  3. ^ a b c "Peckham Boys (PB)". Archived from the original on 17 December 2012.
  4. ^ a b Cawthorne, Nigel (2010). The World's Most Evil Gangsters. John Blake Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-78418-433-9.
  5. ^ "London Street Gangs: Yardies, Peckham Boys, Jamaican Posse, Joel Smith, Eaton Green, Delroy Denton, Tottenham Mandem, Kemar Jarrett". Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Brooklyn (OBY)". Archived from the original on 2 June 2011.
  7. ^ Blunden, Mark (3 March 2011). "Teenager served with gang Asbo 'is planning human rights appeal". Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 6 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  8. ^ Laville, Sandra (10 August 2006). "Brothers who terrorised streets since age of 10 and 11". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  9. ^ Bowcott, Owen (4 March 2011). "Council seeks more 'gang injunctions'". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2011. Local gangs such as the Pecksg Boys, alternatively known as SN1 (Spare No One), have broken into smaller groups.
  10. ^ a b c Densley, J. (11 April 2013). How Gangs Work: An Ethnography of Youth Violence. Springer. p. 54. ISBN 9781137271518.
  11. ^ "The Red Bull guide to Road Rap". Red Bull. 4 December 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Giggs is the leader of his own record label, SN1 Records". Capital XTRA. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  13. ^ Hancox, Dan (22 June 2018). "The war against rap: censoring drill may seem radical but it's not new". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Gang Injunctions - are they up to the job?". Local Government Lawyer. 16 June 2011. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  15. ^ a b c Cawthorne, Nigel (2010). The World's Most Evil Gangsters. John Blake Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 9781784184339.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g "Peckham Boys (PB) - www.londonstreetgangs.com". archive.fo. 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  17. ^ Phelps, Eric J. (September 2015). "Mediation and Gangs: A Study of Violence Reduction in the Metropolitan Police Area in London" (PDF). University of Portsmouth Research Portal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  18. ^ Tendler, By Stewart (10 August 2006). "His killers were street children, fearless and brutal with no remorse". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  19. ^ Books, Better World. "Buy New & Used Books Online with Free Shipping". Better World Books. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  20. ^ Cox, Joseph (3 April 2014). "UK Gang Members Love Social Media, Too". Vice. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  21. ^ "18 shots fired in Barbican gang fight | News". Thisislondon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  22. ^ "Woman saved when bra stops bullet". 7 October 2005. Archived from the original on 25 December 2006. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  23. ^ "Woman saved when bra stops bullet". 7 October 2005. Retrieved 31 January 2020 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  24. ^ Bennetto, Jason (23 September 2006). "Gang war returns to streets where Damilola died". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  25. ^ "NEW CROSS: Mother speaks out over Woodpecker estate unsolved murders (From News Shopper)". Newsshopper.co.uk. 11 March 2010. Archived from the original on 14 March 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  26. ^ "Five arrested over stabbing murder (From News Shopper)". Newsshopper.co.uk. 20 September 2006. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  27. ^ "London's 100 top movers and shakers 2006". Timeout.com. Archived from the original on 8 August 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  28. ^ "Peckham gang leader faces jail". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  29. ^ "Killer's cowardly attack". bucks free press. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Gang General's Deadly Arsenal". Daily Record. 22 September 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  31. ^ Laville, Sandra (24 September 2008). "Seven held in swoop on armed robbery suspects". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  32. ^ Singh, Rob (23 September 2008). "Seven held in swoop on Peckham Boys gang". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  33. ^ "Nurse killed in gangsters' crossfire yards from home". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  34. ^ "'Kidnappers' stab boy, 13, five times". Metro.co.uk. 30 July 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  35. ^ a b "Gang members get life terms for East Dulwich bus murder". BBC News. 16 February 2012. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  36. ^ Davenport, Robert (6 August 2010). "80 arrests in raids on Southwark gangs". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 24 November 2011. After one operation 49 people were charged with 212 offences, mostly involving Class-A drugs. Twenty-six people have been convicted of drug-related offences – with some receiving jail sentences – and others are awaiting trial. Some of those convicted were members of the Shoot Instant Gang, an offshoot of the Peckham Boys.
  37. ^ "Footballer in drive-by attack was victim of 'post-code war'". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  38. ^ "Rio Ferdinand's plea after friend shot dead in Peckham". BBC News. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  39. ^ Chandler, Mark (20 October 2011). "Teenage athlete Sylvester Akapalara 'hunted down and shot by gang' in Peckham". News Shopper. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  40. ^ a b c "'Snitch and we'll come for you' Peckham gang GMG's chilling warning to". Evening Standard. 31 May 2012. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  41. ^ "Young athlete's murderer David Nyamupfukudza jailed". The Independent. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  42. ^ "Gangster who called himself 'the number one hitman' jailed over gun violence". Evening Standard. 18 April 2011. Archived from the original on 21 April 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  43. ^ Cheston, Paul (29 July 2011). "32 years' jail for gangster who ordered execution". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  44. ^ "Teenager shot dead on orders of gang member: Samuel Ogunro". MurderMap. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  45. ^ "Cross-eyed Peckham riots arsonist Andrew Burls jailed for eight years". metro.co.uk. 20 February 2012. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  46. ^ "'Snitch and we'll come for you' Peckham gang GMG's chilling warning to locals after gunning down innocent teen". Evening Standard. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  47. ^ "Facing life: drug dealer who shot dead family friend of England star Rio Ferdinand". Evening Standard. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  48. ^ Dummy. "The 10 Best UK Drill Releases To Date, according to Kwengface". DummyMag. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  49. ^ "Kwengface Premieres His Debut 'YPB: Tha Come Up' Mixtape". Mixtape Madness. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  50. ^ "Blue Story Review". ScreenRant. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
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  • [1] thisislondon.co.uk Just another day of gang warfare in Peckham
  • [2] news.bbc.co.uk Tale of the untouchables
  • [3] findarticles.com The Peckham Boy Story
  • London Street Gangs London gangs resource website
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