Notorious Manchester gangster Lee Amos who ran 'Gooch Gang' dies in prison

A gangster who once led the feared Gooch Gang has died in prison. Lee 'Cabbo' Amos was jailed in 2009 for the drive-by killing of Tyrone Gilbert, 24.

G4S confirmed he passed away at HMP Oakwood and an investigation is underway. Amos was serving a minimum of 35 years over Gilbert's killing and was part of the notorious Gooch Gang, which terrorised Manchester.

After they were jailed, it was reported shootings fell by 92 per cent. Amos, known as Cabbo, was regarded by the police as the Gooch gang’s "best weapon" as he was "cool, calm and collected".

READ MORE Peter Kay's huge Co-op Live arena opening gig is CANCELLED with just 24 hours to go

Gilbert was shot in the chest and killed at the wake of Ucal Chin, 23. Chin had been shot in an ambush by the Gooch gang's head honcho Colin "Piggy" Joyce as he and Amos believed him to be a member of a rival gang known as the Longsight Crew.

In April 2009, following a six month trial at Liverpool Crown Court in which six former Gooch gang members testified against them, Amos and Joyce were convicted of murder, attempted murder and possessing firearms. Joyce, then 29, was jailed for life and told he would serve a minimum of 39 years, while Amos was banged up for 35 years.

Following his death, a HMP Oakwood spokesperson said: "A prisoner at HMP Oakwood, Mr Lee Amos, aged 48, passed away on Monday, 22 April 2024.

"His next of kin have been informed and a Family Liaison Officer has been appointed. As with all deaths in prison, this will be investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman."

Notorious Gooch Gang

Amos was part of the notorious Gooch Gang, a crew which terrorised the city and whose string of crimes was likened to the Al Capone-era of gangland violence in the US during prohibition in the 1920s by a senior judge.

“Manchester is not the Wild West, but many of you treated its streets as if it were,” Mr Justice Langstaff said. “[It is] reminiscent of Al Capone and Chicago in the era of prohibition.”

The most devastating crimes in the rampage were the murders of Chin and Tyrone Gilbert. Mr Chin was 24-years-old when he was shot dead in June 2007.

The court heard that he was driving in Longsight when he was ambushed by his killers and shot seven times. Then, a few weeks later, an impromptu wake was held for Mr Chin.

That was attended by Tyrone Gilbert, who was one of 80 mourners at a domestic address in south Manchester. Shortly after midnight, however, he and the party were sprayed with bullets in another drive-by.

Amos, aged 33 at trial, was also found guilty for the murder of Tyrone and the attempted murder of Michael Gordon. Alongside him and Joyce were Aeeron Campbell of Withington, Narada Williams of Fallowfield, and his brother Ricardo, of Moston, also found guilty of murder. Amos and Narada Williams were told they would serve 35 years in prison, Ricardo Williams was given a minimum of 34 years while Campbell was jailed for at least 32 years.

Other members of the gang included Aaron Alexander, Hassan Shah, Kayael Wint, Ricci Moss, Tyler Joel Mullings, and Gonoo Hussain. They were put away for a variety of firearm and drug offences, and were jailed for between five to 13 years.