Ex-boxer and bouncer Lee Duffy would be well into his 50s now had he not died at the hands of a man he once called a friend. He had previously survived two shootings and an attempt to turn him into a human torch. But police believed there would be no man able to take Duffy’s spot. Detective Chief Inspector Brian Leonard, who led the hunt for Duffy’s killer, said at the time: “There won’t be another bloke like Duffy; he was a one off.” A part of Teesside folklore Duffy and Sayers first met as youngsters in Low Newton Remand Centre in 1982. There is also a photograph of the South Bank gangster, which has apparently never been seen by the public before. Many comparisons have been made between Duffy and Graham, who was shot dead in Wallsend in 1993, over the years.

But the author believes Duffy was determined to have it out with his foe and rival. Read More Related Articles A new book detailing Teesside's underworld in the 90s has been released, and it promises to be a "true account" of the exploits of two of the regions most infamous names. Prior to his violent death in 1991, the ex-boxer and bouncer had already survived three alleged attempts on his life - he was shot on two occasions and once had petrol poured over him. Outside the court, his mother said: "It's not a true verdict. There is only one good thing that has come out of this - Lee would not have wanted him to go to jail because Lee was not a man who wanted anyone to go to jail. Lee could have accepted it, but it is different for me." From what I've heard mate, from a good source, he was a bit of a bully and he wasn't what you would call a hard fella.For Duffy's funeral in September 1991, hundreds of people lined the streets and two lorries were needed to carry the floral tributes. Many from Middlesbrough’s seedy underworld vied for the top criminal spot left by Duffy. Author Jamie Boyle has already written extensively about Duffy in his book The Whole of the Moon, and a documentary will be released on DVD on August 25. It was at the hands of a man who he once called a friend that Duffy lost his life. David Allison and Duffy had exchanged words at a blues party in the Afro Caribbean Centre.

Up until the age of about 14, Lee was severely bullied himself and he’d often run home crying his eyes out. He had a really troubled childhood, he had a father whose behaviour would just not be acceptable in the modern day. He was a heavy drinker who would beat him and Lee had many family problems. Read More Related Articles The chapter, named The Duffer, documents the close friendship Lee Duffy had with Stephen Sayers after they first met as youngsters in Low Newton Remand Centre in 1982. Over the past few decades, there have been various books and films about the controversial boxer including Lee Duffy: Too Far Too Soon which is directed by Paul Suggitt and was released in 2020. However, a day later, Allison called his dad and told him: "I think I've killed Lee Duffy". He handed himself in and was arrested and charged with murder. Now following auditions last week, it has been announced Paul Venis will play the notorious thug, who knew of Duffy as he was growing up. Originally from South Bank, Venis said: "I remember Lee vividly. He lived over the road from us and I would see him often.

What happened to Lee Duffy?

Following Duffy's death, characters from Middlesbrough’s seedy underworld vied for the top criminal spot left by Duffy. Around half a dozen men looked to muscle in and fill the shoes of the feared crime boss. I’ve spoken to people who knew him as a child and he would often be seen walking around his estate late on a school night because he never wanted to go home. It adds: "Lee did have regrets in life. He loved his mam dearly and he was ashamed of what he had put his mother through over the years. I would often hear Lee punching walls with towels wrapped around his hands. I even heard Lee fighting with two screws once and I could hear them reeling from him banging body shots into them. Duffy spent many years in Durham Prison and was in at the same time as Viv Graham. They clashed because they were the alpha male type. It was almost like he wanted to prove who was the top dog in the North East,” said Jamie.