Now this is one guy you really don’t want to be mad at you…
Having debt is a somewhat accepted part of society nowadays. Most people get in to debt as a routine, cars, mortgages, even mobile phone contracts all form a picture of a person’s owing.
Obviously there are some less than savoury debts that can also be taken out. For instance, if you are silly enough to get money from a back street loan shark or gangster, paying it back on time could save your teeth and/or kneecaps.
Missing that deadline could have got you a visit from Shaun Smith back in his day.
Former Gangland Enforcer Shaun Smith
Picking a debt collector that you would want to knock on your door is probably impossible. If there’s just one you really don’t want turning up, its Shaun Smith. The former gangland enforcer has literally been through war on the streets of the UK, and come out alive.
“I was an enforcer in the underworld. People have been shot. They got blasted in the legs. Petrol was poured over them and they were set on fire. Boomph…and they’re gone.
“But today, thankfully, I’m legit. I work for small garages, skip-yards, builders, car dealers, bedding factories, conservatory builders… the kind of companies that are the backbone of the economy.” Smith told The Star.
Steroid Incident
During the filming for the infamous ‘Vice’ documentary, Shaun Smith confronted two of his associates. Both men, clearly using a lot of steroids, go from ripped and scary looking gents, to a couple of kittens within seconds.
Watch as Shaun Smith petrifies the two poor sods, who obviously want none of the infamous gangster’s wrath. Skip to 18:55 for the confrontation, but the whole video is well worth the watch:
Interview From The Star Continued
“I’m more of a mediator, as opposed to an enforcer. I don’t make a lot of money now but I no longer have to use a gun.
“But when it’s called for, sometimes violence is the only answer – and that’s what I’m good at.”
“One of the side effects of austerity is that cash becomes a scarce commodity. It causes disputes between man and wife, buyers and sellers, factories and suppliers and businessmen and investors.
“Fortunately, I make a small amount of money from that misery.
“But I’m cheaper than a solicitor and quicker than a County Court Judgement.”
Although he may not turn up at midnight hoping to leave with your kneecaps anymore, Smith is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, still. Having served time for firearm offenses, and had multiple attempts on his life, Smith reveals one particular moment that changed him forever:
“I was locked up in a container, these guys were ramming it with a car, firing machine guns at it. They were throwing petrol under the door and telling me they were going to light it. That changed me, you say ‘f*ck it, I’m going to go out roaring, not cowering in the corner.'”
