Ronnie Knight

Ronald Knight (20 January 1934 – 12 June 2023) was an English convicted criminal and nightclub owner. He became well-known through his marriage to actress Barbara Windsor.

On 4 January 1995, Knight was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for handling £314,813 in stolen money from the 1983 £6 million armed robbery at a Security Express depot in Shoreditch, East London. Along with brother John, Ronnie Knight was friendly with the Kray brothers, but, he says, was not connected with their illegal activities. Knight also had another brother, David and a sister, Patsy.

Clubs The two clubs Knight ran, the Artistes and Repertoire Club (known as the A&R) on Charing Cross Road and its neighbour Tin Pan Alley in Soho, London, were drinking establishments favoured by the criminal underworld. Gerard, who himself was later murdered, was acquitted at the same trial as Knight. The killing was in revenge for the murder of Knight's brother. Under the double jeopardy rules in force at the time, it meant he could not be tried a second time.

In 2002, Knight again denied responsibility. John Knight was later imprisoned for 22 years in June 1985 for co-arranging the robbery. Their other surviving brother James was among the other gang members along with Freddie Foreman, John Mason, Ronnie Everett and Cliford Saxe and received eight years for handling stolen money.

While evading extradition in Spain, Knight ran an Indian restaurant named Mumtaz and an eponymous nightclub, RKnights, the scene of violent crimes including a physical attack upon Knight, but by the mid-1990s, he was in financial difficulties.

After returning to Britain in May 1994, Knight, aged 60, was jailed for seven years in January 1995 for handling £314,813 in stolen money from the £6 million armed robbery at a Security Express depot in Shoreditch, East London in 1983. Knight said he was not involved in the robbery, and the prosecution counsel Michael Worsley QC agreed the charge should remain on file, but Knight did plead guilty to handling the stolen bank notes. Judge Gerald Gordon said when sentencing Knight: "Clearly, I do not know what precise role you played, but professional robbers such as those involved are not going to hand over the sort of sums you got unless the person to whom they give it is very deeply involved himself".

In November 1998, Knight was released on parole after serving three years.

Other crimes In 1961, Knight was sentenced to 15 months in prison for dealing in stolen goods.

Television In 2017, Knight was portrayed by Luke Allen-Gale in the BBC biopic documentary Babs.

Personal life Knight was married three times and had two children.

Elizabeth White (married in 1954, divorced before 1964) Sue Haylock (married in 1987 in Fuengirola, separated in 1994)

Selected publications Knight authored six books.

Black Knight: The Ronnie Knight Story (1990) Signed Confessions (1996) Rod of Justice (1997) Memoirs and Confessions (1997) Gotcha!: The Untold Story of Britain's Biggest Cash Robbery (2002) Blood and Revenge (2004)