Moment fugitive crimelord who built multi-million drugs empire dances a bizarre jig after he's arrested in Spain - as he jailed for 43 years

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

This is the moment a fugitive British gangster dances a bizarre jig after being tracked down and arrested in his Barcelona hide-out.
Jamie Rothwell, who confessed to an 'addiction' to revenge, violence and racketeering, was today jailed for 43 years after his a multi-million pound drugs empire came crumbling down.
He fled abroad after a gunman sprayed bullets at him at a car wash in 2015 as part of a murderous feud sparked when a notorious Salford gang splintered.
From his Spanish bolthole he used an underworld messaging network to mastermind tit-for-tat attacks on rivals back in the UK while showing off his apartment's panoramic views of the city.
The 'feared' leader of a multi-million-pound drug and gun operation, Rothwell featured on the recent Channel 4 documentary Operation Dark Phone: Murder by Text.
But he was tracked down in May 2020 and arrested by Spanish police, who filmed the arrogant crime lord kicking up his heels in a bizarre jig as he was led away in handcuffs.
Detectives amassed overwhelming evidence against him as part of the cracking of the Encrochat messaging app - dubbed WhatsApp for criminals.
They were able to prove that a user called 'Live Long' who was directing attempted underworld hits was actually Rothwell after intercepting a selfie he sent showing himself sticking up two fingers.
He later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine and two counts of conspiracy to inflict GBH with intent.
Now 38, Rothwell showed no emotion as he was sentenced to 18 years for drugs offences at Manchester Crown Court.
He was also given consecutive 21 years stretch for the firearms matters - plus an extra four years on licence when he is freed, making a total of 43 years.
Nine associates jailed alongside him were today given sentences totalling almost 164 years.
At the height of his criminal career, father-of-two Rothwell refused to have any contact with his youngest daughter for fear she would be inadvertently 'exposed to the dangers of his world'.
Instead, in chilling messages he sent to friends via his specially adapted £11,000 mobile phone to the encrypted platform, he wrote: 'When you have fire in your heart you don't stop.
'You get addicted. You lose everyone. You turn cold, no emotions.'
Rothwell added: 'It's not egos bro.
'People say that…till u get shot or a friend does. Then tick for tack.
'Egos at first I agree. Then when you in, hard to go back.'
When shown a picture of an AK-47 rifle with magazines and ammunition, Rothwell retorted: 'Makes me hard that bro'.
He also bragged of moving 300 guns, having rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and an anti-tank gun, writing: 'I sell a lot of Glocks'.
Rothwell is currently being detained in the maximum security Wakefield jail - dubbed 'Monster Mansion' over its highly dangerous inmates.
One of his daughters watched proceedings from the public gallery.
The court heard Rothwell's gang was behind the trafficking of 'industrial levels' of cocaine, heroin and ketamine plus various firearms including AK 47s and semi automatic 9mm Glock pistols across the UK.
He was a leading light in the Salford gang feud which erupted between 2014 and 2019 between rival outfits the A-Team and the Anti A-Team.
Armed police guarding Manchester Crown Court as gangster Jamie Rothwell and his associates were jailed today
Rothwell himself was shot and wounded in a revenge attack at a car wash in Ashton-in-Makerfield in 2015 by a masked gunman armed with a Heckler and Koch pistol after he was accused of carrying out a grenade attack.
Rothwell was said to be the right-hand-man of Michael Carroll, the alleged leader of the Anti A-Team, in opposition to the A-Team, said to be led by Stephen Britton.
Gangster Paul Massey was said to be Britton's mentor.
In July 2015, Massey was shot dead outside his home in Salford by Mark Fellows, an Anti A-Team associate nicknamed The Iceman.
Months later, seven-year-old Christian Hickey was shot at his doorstep as the A-Team sought revenge in a botched hit, thought to have been targeting the schoolboy's father, a close associate of Carroll.
Rothwell was said to have access to 'millions of pounds,' had a bonded warehouse operation for his racketeering and even had an Amazon liveried truck doing drugs runs to Belfast.
After being arrested in Barcelona he stood trial accused of conspiracy to murder during a vicious turf war with the rival 'A-Team' gang which involved at least seven shootings, with handguns, shotguns and an Uzi sub-machine gun.
But was found not guilty of wrongdoing and later travelled to the Netherlands before being extradited again.
During his campaign of terror, Rothwell accused one rival hiding out in Dubai of being a 'grass' and warned: 'He turned on me for nothing.
'He my only enemy. When he lands in UK that's when it starts.'
The innocent stepfather of a man who crossed Rothwell was gunned down in a hail of bullets at his home in Warrington after answering his front door to a hitman posing as a pizza delivery driver.
He was hit in the leg after shutting the door just in time and survived the attack.
Another gangland hit was called off at the last minute when the target was found to be not at home.
The court was told how Rothwell gave an insight into the violence that is the 'hallmark and byproduct' of his business, during one conversation with a gangland associate.
Jaime Hamilton KC, prosecuting, said: 'He discussed how he does not have anything to do with his youngest child saying she does not need to be exposed to the level of danger that his world provides.'
Police estimated he traded over 200kg of cocaine worth £7million plus 5kg of ketamine and he was involved in the transfer of £1.2million in dirty cash.
Rothwell had previous convictions for armed robbery, conspiracy to supply drugs and money laundering.
He was stabbed in prison by a fellow inmate whilst he was being held on remand.
His counsel Christopher Henley KC said: 'Mr Rothwell has tired of the life he has lived and he wants to call a stop to all this.
'He is determined to draw a line and has resolved to focus on his family and future.'
But sentencing him, Judge John Potter told Rothwell: 'You were at the top of your organisation.
'You issued orders and expected to then to be obeyed.
'Others feared you and you obtained wealth by having access to millions of pounds in cash and you lived much of your time in Portugal and also Spain where you had access to an apartment from where you circulated pictures of panoramic views across Barcelona on Encrochat.
'Your drug dealing was on an international level and your willingness to use firearms and to resort to violence was evidenced by the messages you sent showing the level of harm you were prepared to inflict on your enemies.
'You have lived much of your life as a professional criminal involved in a series organised crime.
'These offences graphically illustrate your willingness to follow this path and cause loss and misery to others as you do so.'
Eight other men were jailed for a total of 163 years for their part in the racket.
Today Senior Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Colin Shackleton, of Greater Manchester Police, said the gang had made 'eye-watering profits'.
'They believed they were above the law, and having access to their messages gave us real insight into their arrogant, egotistical, and apathetic nature.'
Wayne Johns, of the National Crime Agency, said the agency - dubbed Britain's FBI - had 'used its global reach to trace and arrest Jamie Rothwell, not just once, but twice, bringing him back from Spain and then Holland when he went on the run a second time'.
'Fugitives should take note of the NCA's tenacity in tracing wanted offenders, and working with partners such as GMP, we will never give up on finding and returning those who have fled justice,' he added.