Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read: Detective who brought the Krays to justice

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Leonard Read, who has died aged 95, was the Metropolitan Police murder squad detective who led the successful investigation into the brutal criminal career of the Kray twins, a pair whom he considered to be “wicked, unscrupulous, murdering villains”. Asked how he was able to guarantee the safety of those testifying, Read replied: “It was difficult … People knew me and that was important, I think people had got confidence in me.” The culmination of Read’s years of painstaking work came on 4 March 1969, when a jury at the Old Bailey unanimously found Ronnie Kray guilty of the murder of George Cornell and Reggie Kray was found guilty of the murder of Jack McVitie. Justice Melford Stevenson told the Krays: “In my view, society has earned a rest from your activities.” Ronnie Kray died in Broadmoor Hospital in 1995. Following the Kray case, Read became assistant chief constable at Nottinghamshire Police and national coordinator of the regional crime squads.