Gangster's chilling messages as full details of Anti A-Team crimes emerge
A Salford gangster ordered shootings, arranged gun deals and moved huge quantities of drugs over an encrypted phone network, sending chilling messages such as: "Once you're in, hard to go back."
Jamie Rothwell, 38, a key figure in the city's feared Anti A-Team gang, admitted conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to supply Class A cocaine and Class B ketamine, and two counts of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. Manchester Crown Court heard how Rothwell used Encrochat to plan violence and supply deadly weapons alongside a string of associates, including James Close - known as 'Ballsniffer' - as well as Craig Makinson and Callum Morris.
In April 2020, Rothwell set his sights on rival Leon Cullen, telling one contact: "I've give Leon a way out... he a grass... he turned on me for nothing... tried kill me... while my daughter there... he my only enemy... when he lands in UK that's when it starts." He also targeted notorious gangster Liam Byrne, sharing Byrne's address with user 'Caperocket' and sending Google Earth images. "I'm gonna do them all soon," he wrote.
On April 24, a van linked to Rothwell was caught on CCTV outside a house in Warrington. Prosecutor Jaime Hamilton KC said: "David Barnes went to answer the door. He opened the door and recalled hearing the words 'pizza delivery'. He also believed that he saw a number of pizza boxes." Mr Hamilton added: "As the door was closing he heard two shots and a third shot after he closed the door. His recollection is that the third shot passed through the door and struck him in the leg."
The next day, Rothwell bragged to 'Caperocket', saying "I done two same time." When asked "who did you get yesterday" he replied: "I got the dad... Liam... I took Leon dad door of {sic} also."
Rothwell's Encrochat exchanges revealed his deep involvement in the illegal firearms trade. When Makinson messaged: "Any glocks," Rothwell replied: "No bro... soon though mate... if u ever need one u could borrow." Morris asked about cheap metals a 9mm or a pump shotgun, prompting Rothwell to send Makinson photos of AK-47s, saying "few aks for sale" at £10,500 each.
In one deal, Morris collected £10,500 from Makinson for an AK-47 in Warrington. Rothwell told him the gun would be loaded and to "be careful". Minutes later, Morris sent him a photo of the weapon. Rothwell's response was: "makes me hard that bro."
On April 16, Morris offered to transport a pump-action shotgun for Rothwell. Later that month, Rothwell asked if there was a boat near Southampton to offload 28 kilos of cocaine. He also offered to "drop" Morris a Glock. In another conversation with username 'Tubbytern', Rothwell boasted: "I sent 300 straps home... I got RPG, M16, Aks, Glock Machines." To Makinson, he claimed: "I sell a lot of Glocks." He even referenced the case for which he was wanted at the time in the UK (offences of which he was ultimately acquitted) but referenced them as "because a few women got shot".
Reflecting on the violence he was orchestrating, Rothwell told one associate: "when you have fire in your heart... you don't stop... you get addicted... you lose everyone... you turn cold, no emotions.... egos at first I agree... but then when you in, hard to go back."
Rothwell, of Grindon Avenue, Salford, is due to be sentenced later this week, along with ten other gang members over a catalogue of gun, drug and money laundering crimes tied to the Anti A-Team. The men being sentenced alongside him are Andrew Ackers, Scott Davies, Craig Makinson, John Moore, James Close, Callum Morris, Zak Rourke, Terence McDonagh and John Stankus.
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BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
Jamie Rothwell: Gang boss who fled to Spain 'tired of crime'
A British organised crime boss who organised shootings and traded assault rifles from his flat in Spain is "tired of living a life of crime", a court has heard. Jamie Rothwell, who was found by police "hiding out" at an apartment in Barcelona, pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to a string of drugs and firearms barrister, Chris Henley, KC, said the 38-year-old had vowed to turn his life around after living in "isolation, loneliness and fear".Rothwell, from Salford in Greater Manchester, is due to be sentenced on Thursday along with nine other men. He was arrested after being identified as the man behind the "livelong" handle on the supposedly uncrackable EncroChat phone police hacked into EncroChat's servers between 30 March 2020 and 24 May gave detectives real-time access to messages between thousands of organised criminals, who were oblivious to the fact they had been intercepted messages were shared with British police Manchester Police said the messages exposed Rothwell's "command over a sprawling criminal enterprise and his involvement in the trafficking of high-powered weapons, including AK-47 rifles". Prosecutor Jaime Hamilton, KC, outlined some of the messages which gave "an insight into the violence that is the hallmark and by-product of his business".In one of them, Rothwell said: "When you have fire in your heart you don't stop... you get addicted, you lose everyone, you turn cold, no emotions."In another, Rothwell bragged of how he was "sending constant" consignments of Class A and B drugs and guns, before adding: "I sent 300 straps [firearms] home, I got RPG, M16, AKs, Glock Machines."Mr Hamilton said Rothwell also discussed how he had fallen out with other was said to have included them trying to kill him and how this meant he had a "six-month war" with one, during which he went on the court heard how in April 2020, Cheshire man Liam Byrne was told by police that his life was under 22 April 2020, Rothwell and another man discussed Rothwell's wish to find out the address of both Mr Byrne and his father, Liam Byrne Sr. Rothwell was sent these details along with photographs of the men and images of their addresses from a satellite mapping application. In one message, Rothwell stated: "I'm gonna do all them soon", before discussing the use of a specific van as a getaway vehicle. Two days later, that van was caught on CCTV parking up near one of the houses in Barnes, the stepfather of Mr Byrne, was shot in the leg on the doorstep of his home by a gunman posing as a pizza delivery the infiltration of EncroChat, Rothwell was tracked down to an apartment in Barcelona in 2020 before being extradited back to the had fled to the Catalan city after police in the UK had handed him a "threat to life" notice. Rothwell pleaded guilty to conspiracies to possess firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracies to supply cocaine and ketamine, and two counts of conspiracy to inflict grievous bodily harm with intent. In mitigation, Mr Henley said Rothwell had spent five years thinking about his life since his arrest and now felt feelings of "remorse and regret", including for "breaking the hearts" of his family. 'Older and wiser' The defence barrister added: "He is tired of the life he has lived."He has expressed that all he has really achieved is isolation, loneliness, fear and a life away from his family."Mr Henley said he wanted to put "aside the bravado, the hype, and glamorisation around serious offences, and communicate some hard truths to people about what life really looks like".He added that Rothwell would "like to share with others - perhaps younger people who perhaps stand on the edge of some sort of offending precipice".Mr Henley asked the judge to "acknowledge the steps [Rothwell] had already taken" when passing sentence."He is now a much older and wiser man than he was when he was 33 when these offences took place," he court also heard how Rothwell had been characterised as "quite talented as a young adolescent with a degree of intelligenc".However Mr Henley said Rothwell's family had been unable to prevent him from being seduced by the "superficial" criminal lifestyle. "Once that momentum is set and one is immersed in that kind of environment, it is very hard to divert from that sort of path," he said. "It led to serious danger and him being on the receiving end of very serious violence and threats in the past."The court heard how Rothwell spent most of his time inside his apartment in Barcelona after fleeing the who was flanked by four security guards in the dock, will appear via video link on Thursday for sentencing. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Record
13 hours ago
- Daily Record
'Lonely' gangster taken to court under armed guard 'tired of life of crime and wants to go straight'
Jamie Rothwell was hiding out in Spain after receiving death threat warnings. A gangster who survived an assassination attempt is "determined" to turn his back on his life of crime - as he's "tired" of living on the wrong side of the law, a court has heard. Jamie Rothwell faces a "very long" jail term for masterminding the sale of firearms, massive drug deals and underworld hits from his Spanish bolthole. From his apartment in Barcelona, Rothwell orchestrated a crime plot which saw a man being shot as part of a gangland feud. Police became aware of the plots after discovering messages unearthed by the encrypted EncroChat communications platform when it was hacked by European law enforcement. The 38-year-old was found to be operating under the radar with other criminals under the pseudonym 'live-long'. He was extradited back to the UK to face justice, and has appeared at Manchester Crown Court this week for his sentencing hearing. He was brought to court under armed guard from HMP Wakefield, a high security jail often called 'Monster Mansion'. During a court hearing today, Wednesday, August 13, 2025, it was revealed that Rothwell is 'tired of the life he has lived' and wants to turn his back on crime. He wants to help people thinking of following a similar path and persuade them to instead live a law-abiding life, according to his barrister. Reflecting on Rothwell's 2020 arrest, barrister Chris Henley KC said: 'He has had almost five years to reflect upon his life so far". He said Rothwell had composed a handwritten letter, which he said was a 'reflection of his attitude' towards his crimes, 'the way he has lived his life up to this point, and particularly the impact of the way he has lived…has had on those he really cares about'. He said the letter sets out 'feelings of remorse and regret'. Mr Henley argued that Rothwell's decision to plead guilty was 'relatively unusual'. Perhaps for someone who knows they are facing a very long sentence, particularly perhaps somebody who attends court in company with long standing associates facing similar charges,' he told the court. 'It is relatively unusual, and to some extent perhaps morally courageous for them to say, 'I now want this to stop'." Mr Rothwell is tired of the life he has lived. All that he has really achieved is isolation, loneliness, fear and a life away from his family. It is a conclusion and attitude that in due course and experience he would like to share with others." Manchester Evening News reports he added: "Perhaps younger people who perhaps stand on the edge of some sort of offending precipice. For him to put perhaps to one side the bravado, and hype, and glamorisation around serious offences, and communicate some hard truths to people as to what life really looks like.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Mr Henley said that relationships between criminals in the underworld are very often 'quite transactional'. He claimed there was a 'direct example' in the way in which fellow defendant Craig Makinson 'tried to run his trial'. He claimed that Makinson's contention that he had been threatened by Rothwell was 'utterly opportunistic' and 'almost laughable'. 'There was not a shred of evidence of that in the exchanges,' the KC said. He said Makinson, who was convicted of drugs and firearms offences, had once been 'quite a close associate' of Rothwell. 'He has spent years now in Wakefield prison,' Mr Henley said of his client. He said Rothwell had a brief spell in Strangeways prison in Manchester. There, he was the victim of what was described as a 'ferocious, almost fatal assault'. The M.E.N. previously reported how Rothwell's case had to be halted last summer after he was knifed in the jail, formally known as HMP Manchester. He has time now to think about where his priorities in the future will lie,' Mr Henley said. The barrister said Rothwell was asking the judge to give him 'some hope'. He is now a much wiser and mature man,' the KC said. He asked the judge to give Rothwell 'some prospect of living differently for the remainder of his life'. Mr Henley told the court that Rothwell had been 'quite talented' as a youngster, and was 'particularly good at rugby'. Referencing Rothwell's parents, the barrister said: 'They were unable to prevent him perhaps being seduced by some of the superficial lifestyle others had made, older people on the estate where he lived.' He said it had been 'very difficult' for Rothwell's parents. 'He knows he has broken their hearts,' Mr Henley said. 'He became more and more embedded in the kind of life that has led him to this point,' the KC added. It may not engage much sympathy.' He said that 'once that motion is set' it can be 'very difficult to divert'. As Mr Rothwell got older, that was the path he was on,' Mr Henley said. 'It has obviously led to serious danger. He is now tired of living like that. "Mr Rothwell is determined and has decided to draw a line." He said that Rothwell had been 'hiding out' in Barcelona after receiving threat to life warnings. He knows what is ahead of him,' the KC said. 'Years in high security conditions in very confined space, with a mind numbing routine that he will have to make the best of.' He said that three members of staff from HMP Wakefield had submitted references on Rothwell's behalf. 'He has not just been a good inmate, not causing trouble,' Mr Henley added. He has been a positive influence, a positive conduit between the authorities and other inmates.' Rothwell 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. 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. The A-Team is said to be led by Stephen Britton. Gangster Paul Massey was said to be Britton's mentor. Rothwell was shot at a car wash in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, in March 2015 as part of the feud. A gunman sprayed bullets at him but Rothwell survived. In July that year, Massey was shot dead outside his home in Salford by Mark Fellows, an Anti A-Team associate nicknamed The Iceman. Months later, in October, 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. In October 2020, after being brought back from Barcelona, Rothwell went on trial at Manchester Crown Court. Alongside four other men, including Mark Fellows, he was accused of conspiring to murder two A Team associates, after one was shot in February 2015 and the other attacked with a machete in March that year. Rothwell was found not guilty of all charges. At some point after his acquittals, Rothwell left the country. He was arrested in Amsterdam on December 14, 2020, before being extradited back to the UK in March 2021 after police obtained a European Arrest Warrant. In February this year, Rothwell pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life and one count of conspiracy to possess ammunition with intent to endanger life. He was also charged with conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class A, namely cocaine; two counts of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and a single count of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class B, namely ketamine. He pleaded not guilty to five other charges. They were two counts of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent; two counts of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class A, namely diamorphine and cannabis and a single count of possession of criminal property, namely money. Rothwell had been on trial last year after denying a series of charges. But the case was adjourned after he was attacked in Strangeways prison. Rothwell and his co-defendants, Andrew Ackers, Scott Davies, Craig Makinson, John Moore, James Close, Callum Morris, Zak Rourke, Terence McDonagh and John Stankus are expected to be sentenced tomorrow (Thurs).
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
International manhunt launched for paedophile, 23, who fled the UK during his trial
Police have launched an international manhunt for a paedophile from Bury who fled the country during his trial. Hassan Mahmood was found guilty of four counts of child sexual offences following a four-day trial, but the 23-year-old fled the UK on the second day in court, with the trial continuing in his absence. He is a wanted man and is being actively sought by Greater Manchester Police, who warned: 'We don't know where Mahmood is, but we are determined to find him no matter where he thinks he can hide.' At Manchester Crown Court, Mahmood of Gigg Lane, Bury, was guilty on four counts of child sexual offences. The charges included namely engaging in penetrative sexual activity with girl under 13; causing a child under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity; engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child under 13 and engaging in sexual communication with a child. Anyone with information about Mahmood's whereabouts should contact the police or Crimestoppers anonymously as efforts to trace him continue. Detective Constable, Shaheen Saleh, from GMP's Child Criminal Exploitation Team, said: 'Hassan Mahmood committed this abhorrent crime and has now been found guilty. He has cowardly thought he can evade justice by fleeing the country. 'Mahmood is only prolonging the inevitable outcome, and we will do all we can to make sure he faces the full consequences of his actions. 'We are unwavering in our commitment to protecting children and are offering our full support to the victim and their family during this time. 'Anyone with information should contact the police either online or via 101. You can anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.'
