Notorious gangster Lee Amos who ran 'Gooch gang' dies in prison

Notorious gangster and former leader of the feared Gooch Gang, Lee 'Cabbo' Amos has died in prison.

The one-time "Manchester's public enemy number one" was jailed back in 2009 for the drive-by murder of Tyrone Gilbert, aged 48. Confirmation of his death at HMP Oakwood came from G4S who affirmed an investigation is currently underway.

"A prisoner at HMP Oakwood, Mr Lee Amos, aged 48, passed away on Monday, 22 April 2024," said a spokesperson. They added that next of kin have been notified and a Family Liaison Officer has been assigned.

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Under standard proceedings, all deaths in prison are investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. Amos, who was serving a minimum of 35 years over Gilbert's execution, was a key member of the notorious Gooch Gang renowned for wreaking havoc in Manchester, reports the Mirror.

According to the Manchester Evening News, police regarded Amos, or Cabbo as he was known, as the Gooch gang's "best weapon" due to his "cool, calm and collected" nature. The lethal shooting of Gilbert occurred at the wake of Ucal Chin, aged 23.

Chin was previously gunned down in an ambush organised by Gooch gang leaders Colin "Piggy" Joyce and Amos over suspicion of him being a fellow member of rival gang, the Longsight Crew. Detectives meticulously dismantled the notorious Gooch Gang, starting with kingpins Joyce and Amos and working their way down to the foot soldiers.

Leveraging testimony from ex-gang members and painstakingly analysing a web of 80,000 mobile phone communications, they managed to connect the criminals to their heinous acts. In a landmark trial at Liverpool Crown Court in April 2009, which spanned six months and featured evidence from six turncoat Gooch gang affiliates, both Amos and Joyce were found guilty of murder, attempted murder, and firearms offences.

Joyce, aged 29 at the time, received a life sentence with a minimum term of 39 years, while Amos was sentenced to 35 years behind bars. After the sentencing, Detective Constable Rod Carter remarked: "Nobody has had a bigger impact on the Manchester gang scene in the last few years than Colin Joyce.

"Joyce does not have to pull the trigger - his presence is enough to incite others to do so. He has no need to still be doing what he's doing. He does it because he enjoys it, that's what makes him so dangerous."

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