Patrick Carraher (1906 – 6 April 1946) was a notorious criminal from

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. Known as "the Fiend of the Gorbals",Razor gangs ruled the streets but even in the violence of pre-war years, one man stood out
Daily Record, 19 October 2007 he was a well-known figure at the time of fights between rival

Glasgow razor gangs The Glasgow razor gangs were Gang#Gang violence, violent gangs that existed in the Glasgow#East_End, East End and Glasgow#South_Side, South Side of Glasgow, Scotland in the late 1920s and 1930s and were named after their weapon of choice. H. Kin ...

. Born into a respectable working-class family in the

Gorbals The Gorbals is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, on the south bank of the River Clyde. By the late 19th century, it had become densely populated; rural migrants and immigrants were attracted by the new industries and employment opportun ...

area, he loved to fight; the first time he spent in a

borstal A Borstal was a type of youth detention centre in the United Kingdom, several member states of the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland. In India, such a detention centre is known as a Borstal school. Borstals were run by HM Prison Service ...

at 14, the first of many imprisonments. Carraher was arrested on 13 August 1934 for stabbing to death James Shaw, a soldier. At his trial he pleaded that he did not understand what he was doing because he was drunk. However he was convicted of

culpable homicide Culpable homicide is a categorisation of certain offences in various jurisdictions within the Commonwealth of Nations which involves the illegal killing of a person either with or without an intention to kill depending upon how a particular j ...

, which meant he served only three years in prison. The jury's verdict surprised many people in the legal establishment, and was seen as a sign of reluctance by juries to send someone to the gallows.Nicol, Allan ''Manuel: Scotland's First Serial Killer'' Carraher relished the experience of prison, as lifestyles there were tough and often involved prisoners being subject to

knife crime Knife legislation is defined as the legislation, body of statutory law or case law promulgated or enacted by a government or other governing jurisdiction that prohibits, criminalizes, or restricts the otherwise legal manufacture, importation, sale, ...

, this being one of his specialities. For the majority of the inmates at the time, the objective was to claim bigger and better objects by stealing, but for Carraher his main objective remained fighting, the case from a very young age. His actions were often influenced by alcohol, as he had developed a serious addiction to it which constantly fuelled his anger and inspiration for malicious acts. Even after his release, he continued his murderous and gruesome acts and was charged again with razor slashing and assault. His final act of terror was on 23 November 1945, when he murdered another young soldier, John Gordon, during a drunken altercation. One of Carraher's few friends, Daniel Bonnar, the brother of Carraher's girlfriend at the time, had a dispute with one of the Gordons. When Carraher learned this, he went on the hunt for the Gordons, looking to settle the long lasting feud. He found John Gordon with his brother-in-law, and launched a sharp chisel into the soldier's neck. He was arrested and at his trial, Daniel Bonnar and his girlfriend provided evidence against him, and the jury found him guilty within twenty minutes and convicted him of murder. He was hanged at

HM Prison Barlinnie HM Prison Barlinnie is the largest prison in Scotland. It is operated by the Scottish Prison Service and is located in the residential suburb of Riddrie, in the north east of Glasgow, Scotland. It is informally known locally as The Big Hoose, ...

Thomas Pierrepoint Thomas William Pierrepoint (6 October 1870 – 11 February 1954) was an English executioner from 1906 until 1946. He was the brother of Henry Pierrepoint and uncle of Albert Pierrepoint. Personal life Pierrepoint was born in Sutton Bonington, ...

References

* MacKay, Donald, ''Scotlands Hanged 1946-1963'', 2016, 1906 births 1946 deaths 20th-century executions by Scotland People convicted of culpable homicide Scottish people convicted of murder Executed Scottish people People from Gorbals 20th-century Scottish criminals Criminals from Glasgow {{Scotland-bio-stub Scottish gangsters Executed gangsters People executed for murder