The possessions of suicide gangster Dave Courtney are being auctioned off – with items offered for sale including guns, swords, daggers, axes and coshes.
Courtney took his own life last year as his health began to fail – after several decades of revelling in his reputation for violence and his links to notorious gangster families like the Krays and the Richardsons.
And now the contents of the home where the flamboyant hardman died are being sold off in an online auction which, despite many lots being described in the catalogue as ‘props’, still include an arsenal of potentially lethal weapons.
Also on offer is memorabilia celebrating the life and connections of the man said to have inspired the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels – including signed Krays items and photos of glamour women like Jody Marsh, his former friend.
But it’s the sheer array of weaponry on offer that is most striking.
Former London gangster-turned-author Dave Courtney has been cremated following his death aged 64. Now, a range of memorabilia is being auctioned off from his house, known as Camelot Castle
One of the highlights of the auction is a signed photograph of Al Pacino
A range of daggers, knives, replica or deactivated firearms are being sold online following the gangster’s death
Various suits of armor are among the items on offer following the gangster’s death
The sale has been dubbed ‘cosh in the attack’ due to the eclectic range of weapons on offer
It includes: 45 swords, 22 coshes – described as ‘ornamental battens [sic]’ 12 knives or daggers, 10 handguns, 10 rifles or machine guns, five axes, five martial arts nunchucks and assorted other items including a crossbow, bullet cartridges and even a medieval-style pike.
A fan of Courtney, who alerted to the extraordinary auction, said: ‘It really is a case of “cosh in the attic”. They’re trying to raise thousands by selling off an arsenal of weapons.’
The auction website states: ‘“We are privileged to present an exclusive auction featuring items from his personal residence. This auction offers a rare opportunity for fans, collectors, and enthusiasts to acquire pieces of history associated with Dave Courtney.
The auction is selling off the contents of his house in Chestnut Rise in Plumstead which the 64 year old referred to as ‘Camelot’s Castle’.
The online auction is described as ‘a unique opportunity..which will honor [sic] his memory and continue his legacy of giving back to the community.’ – with ‘a portion’ of the proceeds to be given to unspecified charities.
Courtney had been a patron of the charity Autistic Inclusive Meets since 2020. He had also supported charities working with Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
It’s also unclear who the beneficiaries of the sale will be though he left an estranged wife Jennifer Pinto and daughter, Courtney.
There is a wide range of items on offer during the sale of items owned by the one-time criminal
Courtney pictured outside his Camelot Castle home in October 2022. The white mansion is decked out with guns, swords, and suits of armour
Courtney attends the funeral of criminal Bruce Richard Reynolds – the mastermind behind the 1963 Great Train Robbery – in March 2013
The auction is selling off the contents of his house in Chestnut Rise in Plumstead which the 64 year old referred to as ‘Camelot’s Castle’
A portion of the proceeds of the sale are supposed to be handed over to a range of unspecified charities
The firearms are thought to have been decommissioned – but it can still be a criminal offence to arm oneself with such a weapon.
The flamboyant mobster shot himself on 22 October last year after battling prostate cancer as well as suffering arthritis that left him in ‘severe pain’.
He shot himself in the head with a 9mm pistol in his Camelot Castle home in Plumstead, in the early hours of October 22. It’s not thought that the suicide gun is included in the sale.
An inquest later heard that Courtney had seemed ‘happy and chirpy’ on 21 October after watching his beloved Charlton beat Reading 4-0 at the Valley with two friends.
They went to the pub before watching England lose to South Africa in the Rugby Union World Cup at the house.
The next day, one of the friends, Brendan McGirr, 57, went into Courtney’s room to ask if he wanted a cup of tea. He found him lying dead on his bed.
Eight videos, filmed in the early hours of 22 October, were found on Courtney’s mobile phone.
They showed Courtney saying goodbye to relatives including his son, daughter, and ex-wife, making clear his intentions.
Dave Courtney has died aged 64 after shooting himself at his London home. He was one of Britain’s best-known gangsters
A wide range of toy guns or others used as movie props are included in the sale
Even a novelty sign reserving parking for ‘gangsters only’ is going under the hammer
Noel Edmonds fans could snag themselves a Deal or No Deal branded fruit machine
There are a number of books in his library featuring London gangsters The Krays or The Richardsons
Courtney was said to be the inspiration behind Guy Ritchie’s movie Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Anyone seeking a decanter featuring a glass skull can place a bid at the auction
Last July the reformed gangster made a video lasting up to five minutes in which he explained to the public at large his intention to take his own life.
The Bermondsey-born knuckle-duster wielding debt collector claimed to have been shot, stabbed and had his nose almost bitten off.
He is said to have been the inspiration for Vinnie Jones’ character Big Chris in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
In 2000 he was cleared by an Old Bailey jury of involvement in a plot to plant cocaine on an innocent woman.
During the trial he was named as a registered police informant using the alias ‘Tommy Mack’. But he insisted he simply took advantage of the system to disguise a relationship with a corrupt detective.
In 2004 he was cleared of attacking his wife Jennifer over an alleged lesbian affair.
He referred to himself as Dave Courtney OBE – ‘One Big Ego’ – and had a painted depiction of himself as a knight in Camelot Castle.
This rather odd looking helmet is among the memorabilia going under the hammer
Courtney took his own life last year as his health began to fail – after several decades of revelling in his reputation for violence and his links to notorious gangster families like the Krays and the Richardsons
The late gangster had eclectic tastes and the contents of his former home are being sold
Despite apparent evidence to the contrary, some former associates of Courtney were sceptical that he would have taken his own life.
Born in Bermondsey in 1959 and raised in south east London, Courtney was a young boy when his dalliances with the capital’s criminal underworld began.
He was just nine years old when the infamous twins were jailed, but claimed to have arranged security for Ronnie Kray’s funeral in 1995.