Prison days of gay bank robber revealed

Ex-con Norman Parker's memories of gay criminal David Martin’s prison days can be found in his new book: Dangerous People, Dangerous  Places.

Martin was a notorious criminal in the early 1980s with a penchant for fleeing the long arm of the law. He is best known for his connection with the police shooting of film editor  Stephen Waldorf  in 1983.

Waldorf was mistakenly identified as David Martin and shot five times while driving in Earls Court, London.

The incident gained similar coverage to that of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was killed by armed police in 2005.

Stephen Waldorf fortunately survived and was awarded compensation.

The influence of prison life on Martin and homosexuality within England’s prisons are both described.

Parker tells of Martin’s experience of  "a world that constantly belittled him because of his sexuality."

In 1983,  Martin was convicted of involvement in armed robbery and sent down for 25 years. He committed suicide early into his sentence.

Norman Parker spent nearly three decades in prison for murder and manslaughter.

He earned an honours degree whilst inside, and since release has pursued a career in journalism.

He wrote the best-selling book Parkhurst Tales and in his new book he travels the world in search of the world’s most dangerous people.

David Martin’s story is told in chapter 13, Dave the Rave, of Parker’s new book Dangerous People, Dangerous Places.

Comments

[Mands]

David Martin was not as 'dangerous' as the press had publicised at the time. When you think of the horrible crimals that have been at large, David Martin was never someone who intentionally hurt anyone. He accidentally shot a policeman in the leg when posing as a security guard, and was more bi-sexual than he was gay. He loved a girl named Susan Stephens, who he met after his release from prison for previous crime of cheque fraud. His harsh sentence was terrible reflection of the police blunder that lead to the near fatal shooting of Stephen Waldorf.