Out of the Box - The Story of Leroy Smith

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The stories he tells of what goes on behind bars are remarkable; an ecosystem of criminality that the prison service cannot challenge because it has neither the resources nor the appetite. She said ‘if I bring you somewhere? What are you going to say when people ask you what you do?’” Leroy continued. “And it's true. When you go somewhere, [it’s] the first thing people ask. Amid violent crime reports in and around Birmingham, prisoner-turned-publisher Leroy believes those living in the Second City are "better off" here than in London. Read More Related Articles In addition to Leroy going in and out of the doors of the Atlantic within a minute, he and his friend had jumped a red light on their motorbike, a vehicle the officers then discovered was unregistered.

Manchester pop biographer John Robb said: "Sweet Sensation were absolutely massive for a while in the Seventies. They're doing their own thing and have no direction other than to fight each other and people are dying out of it. Leroy Smith was born in London 1968. His mother, Perlita, was murdered when Leroy was just 2 years old and he was subsequently brought up by grandmother, Gladys, in Clapham, South London. Accordingly, one of the most poignant parts of the book actually comes right at the end, when Smith’s own daughter gives her candid thoughts: Then you had a lot of other prisoners, mostly white guys or guys who had power up until this point and who could see how they could lose it because of this new influx of prisoners, so they would take every opportunity to cast Muslims in a bad light. From the mere fact that a Muslim prisoner did not need drugs or drink to function inside the prison system and only needed food and exercise in the gym, it was clear from the start that brothers could adapt to anything. Slowly but surely inmates started to convert, some for inner peace, others for their own ends, or to seek personal power. That category of person is only fooling themselves. Brothers used to always come up to me and try to convert me but, because I believe in my heart that God is not a joke, I did not jump on the bandwagon for the sake of it.

When Leroy first experienced the feeling of power that holding a gun on someone gave him, his life was effectively set on the path that would eventually lead him to a 25 year prison sentence. I went to a pub in Brixton and on the way out the police were there. I said I have nothing to hide, but I did have things. It went crazy – it was a split-second thing. It wasn’t like I planned it – it just happened. I feel like I have put closure on the whole incident and it makes me feel proud that me and Leroy have helped people to stay on the straightened narrow and have second thoughts about getting involved in crime,” he added. Retired from policing He was also featured in the BAFTA award-winning documentary Gun No6. Message to the next generation

Out of the Box is an excellent read, a brutally honest account of the making of a criminal, which pulls no punches, or makes excuses, just says it as it was. This is a fascinating and valid account of the cost to society when young, damaged lives are not repaired. It deserves to be very widely read. Now out of the box and free, Leroy Smith is setting out on a new and straighter path. I wish him every success. He has more than paid his dues.’ After all, the next encounter with the man who’d shot him was in court. There an unrepentant Leroy had taunted him, pointing an imaginary gun across the room and pretending to shoot. When you live that life, all that stuff, no matter what it looks like, in the end, it will all get destroyed and vanish from you,” he added. In 1977, after follow-up singles enjoyed success in the clubs but failed to top the charts, the band took part in a Song For Europe in a bid to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. The song came eighth and shortly after that the band was dropped by its label and split.For Leroy that meant rising to the top of the cocaine trade and carrying out armed robberies. They were lucrative activities and his earnings were six figures.

Ex-gangster Leroy Smith spoke to BirminghamLive about Gun No.6 and crime in our city (Image: BBC / Gun No.6) After Mr Seymour approached him, Mr Smith said: “I am lost for words. If it was me, I would not forgive someone. I was scared. I’m still cautious.” From community stories and news covering every borough of London to celebrity and lifestyle stories, we'll make sure you get the very best every day.

So he has written a book, Out of the Box, and he hopes to speak to community groups and schools about the mistakes he made, and how to avoid repeating them.

It is perhaps a testament to the turnaround Leroy has made with his life that he is still in touch with one of the officers he was convicted of shooting. Leroy Smith and James Seymour, the police officer he shot in 1993, are now friends (Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon) Half an hour later it came through on the radio, one of the group in the vehicle had been spotted with a handgun. Reaching out to LeroyI know me meeting him has made a difference to several lives,” James said. “That's all that matters.” Leroy was brought up by his grandmother, left school at 13, and was soon in prison for robberies and burglaries. “In the 90s, Brixton was and still is a dangerous place,” he said. “Society is violent but I was more violent because I realised that’s the way you get things done. Leroy chose a train station for him and James to meet, as he feared the whole thing might be a ruse to get revenge. The sense of helplessness, I can't tell you what that feeling is like. Physical pain, you can get over or you get through, [but] the mental side [is something else].