Who is Carlton Leach?

CARLTON LEACH was a notorious British criminal in the 1980s and 1990s before he decided to leave his life of crime and become a reformed man.

After turning his back on crime, Leach became a best-selling author and the subject of a film that grossed £220,868.

Who is Carlton Leach?

Leach, born March 12, 1959, has lived a more complicated life than most.

He got involved in crime from a young age, after joining the football hooligan gang, Inter City Firm.

They are an English football hooligan firm associated with West Ham FC.

The gang got its name from using InterCity trains to travel to away matches and infamously starting fights with the oppositions fans.

The Inter City Firm became known for their habit of leaving a card on the bodies of those they attacked that read: “Congratulations, you’ve just met the ICF.” 

While he was a part of the gang, Leach met Tony Tucker, Craig Rolfe, and Pat Tate.

Later, the four men became members of the notorious Essex Boys gang which sparked a savage drug war in the 1990s.

The 63-year-old was one of Britain's most feared faces during his 20-year career as a criminal.

The former criminal decided to turn his back on a life of crime after three of his best friends and gang mates were murdered in a drug-related shooting.

Tucker, Rolfe, and Tate were all shot during the 1995 Range Rover shooting.

The three drug dealers were shot in their car on a small farm track in Rettendon.

What is Carlton Leach known for?

The former criminal became well-known for sharing his story and trying to help people avoid entering a life of crime.

He has written three autobiographies, including his most recent book that became an Amazon Bestseller overnight.

In 2003, Leach wrote his first autobiography called "Muscle" about his experiences as a criminal.

His memoir was then adapted into the 2007 film, "Rise of the Footsoldier."

He then wrote his second memoir in 2009, titled, "Rise of the Footsoldier: In My Game, the Choice Is a Jail or a Grave," which detailed his stories of violence, gang crime, and the loss of his best friend.

Then, in October 2021, the former criminal released his final, bestselling autobiography, entitled, Carlton: The Final Say.

The book details his early and criminal life, as well as the two most recent decades of his life since.

What films has Carlton Leach starred in?

Bafta-award nominated director, Julian Gilbey, adapted the story of Leach's life into a film in 2007, entitled, Rise Of The Footsoldier.

Actor, Ricci Harnett, played Leach in the film.

The British Crime and Gangster film grossed £220,868 and had a second part made in 2015, that followed Leach in the aftermath of the Rettendon murders.

The 63-year-old also inspired the 2015 film, Essex Boys: Law of Survival, which detailed the Essex boys gang and Range Rover murders of 1995.