Ronnie Biggs

Ronald Arthur Biggs, born 8 August 1929 in London's East End (known commonly as Ronnie Biggs), is a British prisoner who is known for his minor role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963.

He and others stole £2.6 million from a mail train. After he was convicted he escaped from HM Prison Wandsworth in 1965 by scaling the wall with a rope ladder, got papers and a new face in Paris, and fled in 1970 to Adelaide, South Australia. He worked in Set Construction at Channel 10 when a reporter recognised him. He then fled toBlackburn North, in Melbourne, Australia, staying for some time before fleeing to Brazil in the same year. He allegedly had only £200 left when he arrived in Brazil. His wife, Charmian, and two sons stayed behind in Australia. He spent the next three decades of his life as a fugitive and became somewhat of a media celebrity. Despite being a rather minor figure in the actual robbery he could be argued to have gained the most actual profit from it.

In 1974 he was found by the British police in Rio de Janeiro but couldn't be extradited because his current girlfriend (Raimunda de Castro, a nightclub dancer and prostitute) was pregnant. Brazilian law wouldn't allow the parent of a Brazilian child to be extradited. Unfortunately, his felon status also prevented him from working, but nothing prevented him from profiting from Scotland Yard's misfortune. "Ronnie Biggs" coffee cups and t-shirts suddenly started showing up in tourist traps throughout Rio.

Supposedly, he went back and forth to the UK several times during the making of a documentary about the Great Train Robbery, always in disguise. Also, he recorded vocals on two songs for The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, Malcolm McLaren's film about the Sex Pistols. The basic tracks for "The Biggest Blow (A Punk Prayer)" (aka "No One is Innocent") and "Belsen Was a Gas" were recorded with guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook at a studio in Brazil shortly after the Sex Pistols' final performance, with overdubs being added in a British studio at a later date. "The Biggest Blow" was released as a single in the UK and reached #6 on the British singles charts, with the sleeve showing Martin Bormann playing bass with the group (in actuality this was American actor James Jeter).

Following the extradition attempt, Ronnie collaborated with Bruce Henry, an American bass player, Jaime Shields and Aureo de Souza to record "Mailbag Blues", a musical narrative of his life that he intended to use a movie soundtrack. This album was re-released in 2004 by whatmusic.com.

In 1981 Biggs was kidnapped by a gang of adventurers who managed to smuggle him to Barbados, hoping to collect some reward from the British police. The coup was discovered, though, and Biggs made use of legal loopholes to have himself sent back to Brazil. In February 2006 Channel 4 aired a documentary featuring dramatisations of the attempted kidnap and interviews with the ex-British Army personnel who carried it out. The team was headed by security consultant Patrick King. In the documentary King claims that the kidnap may have in fact been a deniable operation.

Ronnie's Brazilian son by Raimunda, Michael, would eventually become a member of a child band of enormous success (Turma do Balão Mágico), bringing a welcome new source of income to his father, who would spend with abandon. In a short time, however, the band faded into obscurity and dissolved, leaving father and son in relatively dire straits again.

In 1991, Biggs sung vocals for the song "Carnival In Rio (Punk Was)" by German punk band Die Toten Hosen.

In 2001 Biggs announced to The Sun newspaper that he would be willing to return to the UK. He had suffered a stroke the previous year and was in poor health. His stated desire was to "walk into a pub a British man and have a pint of bitter". It is believed by some that he was probably only after the free health care available.

He returned on 7 May 2001, and was re-imprisoned for his crimes. His trip back on a private jet was paid by The Sun, which has also reportedly paid Michael Biggs £20,000, plus other expenses. Ronald Biggs had 28 years of his sentence left. Since his return he has undergone numerous health scares, including two heart attacks, and has failed to get his sentence overturned or reduced.

On 14 November 2001, Biggs petitioned Governor Hynd of HMP Belmarsh for early release on compassionate grounds based on his ill health. He had been treated four times by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich in less than six months. His health was deteriorating rapidly and he asked to be released to the care of his son for his remaining days. The application was denied.

On 10th August 2005, it was reported that Biggs had contracted MRSA. His lawyers, seeking for Biggs's release on grounds of compassion, said that their client's death was likely imminent.

On 26 October 2005, the Home Secretary Charles Clarke declined his appeal stating that his illness is not deemed terminal. Home Office compassion policy is to release prisoners with three months left to live. Biggs is nearly 80 years old, continues to need a tube for feeding and has difficulty speaking.