Latest news with #MichaelWilliamson
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Time of India
Breaking Bad: Who was Michael Williamson, the terminally ill grandpa behind a £52 million cocaine empire?
In a story straight out of Breaking Bad , Michael Williamson , a 77-year-old terminally ill British newsagent, has been revealed as the mastermind behind a massive £52 million cocaine operation that spanned more than 10 years. According to Daily Mail , Williamson led a quiet, seemingly uneventful life running a newsagent shop in Poynton, Cheshire. But behind that façade, he was orchestrating the distribution of over half a tonne of Class A drugs across the UK. His double life was exposed in 2019 when police raided his Salford home and shop, uncovering £137,000 worth of cocaine, £33,000 in cash, and meticulous records of drug deals and debts. Despite having no prior criminal record and living a solitary life, Williamson was charged with conspiracy to supply drugs and convicted at Bolton Crown Court in January. However, due to his terminal illness , he was never sentenced. He died earlier this month. Judge Clarke, speaking in court after his death, said Williamson was at the "very heart" of the drug conspiracy . His case has drawn widespread comparisons to Walter White, the fictional high school chemistry teacher-turned-drug kingpin from the hit TV series Breaking Bad . One source told The Sun , 'He looked like your average corner shop owner, but behind the counter, he was dealing something far stronger than sweets.' Live Events The investigation also led to the conviction of three others, including 33-year-old former rugby league player Payden Candland, who received a sentence of 19 years and nine months in prison. Williamson's story serves as a chilling real-life reminder of how appearances can be deceiving—and how far someone can go when pushed to the edge.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Time of India
Real-life Breaking Bad? Meet the 77-year-old man who ran drug empire worth over Rs 600 crores for more than 10 years
In a shocking incident, a 77-year-old terminally ill newsagent has been unmasked as the mastermind behind a £52 million cocaine empire, drawing comparison to the TV series Breaking Bad. According to the Daily Mail, Michael Williamson secretly led a drug trafficking network that distributed over half a tonne of Class A drugs over a decade. His double life came to light in 2019 when police carried out raids at his Salford residence and his newsagent shop in Poynton, Cheshire, leading to his arrest. Terminally ill newsagent led double life as drug kingpin The report noted that during a police raid, officers uncovered £137,000 worth of cocaine, £33,000 in cash, and detailed records listing names, drug deals, and outstanding debts. Michael Williamson, who had no earlier criminal history and lived a solitary life, was convicted of conspiracy to supply drugs in January at Bolton Crown Court. Due to his terminal illness, Williamson was never sentenced and passed away earlier this month. Breaking Bad, but nobody is careful. Real-life 'Breaking Bad': Judge says newsagent was at the centre of a £52M drug empire According to the report, his descent into the criminal underworld has drawn comparison to the hit US series Breaking Bad, where the main character, Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with cancer, turns to meth production. Judge Clarke, commenting in Williamson's absence, described him as being at the 'very heart' of the drug conspiracy. Striking similarities between Williamson and Walter White A source told The Sun that there were striking parallels between Williamson and Breaking Bad, saying, 'On the surface, he appeared to be just a shopkeeper, but behind the scenes, he was dealing a very different kind of powder than the lemon sherbets on his shelves.' The investigation into the drug network also led to the convictions of three other individuals. Payden Candland, a former rugby league player aged 33, was sentenced to 19 years and nine months in prison. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Terminally-ill newsagent unmasked as real-life Breaking Bad £52million drugs kingpin
A terminally-ill newsagent has been unmasked as a £52million drug kingpin likened to the TV drama Breaking Bad. Michael Williamson, 77, was found to be behind the huge cocaine operation and led a gang which sold more than half a ton of the class A drug over ten years. In 2019, he was arrested when police raided his home in Salford and his newsagents in Poynton, Cheshire. Officers found £137,000 worth of cocaine, £33,000 in cash and 'meticulous records' of names, deals and debts. Williamson, who had no previous convictions and never married, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs in January at Bolton Crown Court. However, his sentence was waived due to his illness and he died earlier this month. His decision to turn to crime was compared to the popular US series, which sees high school chemistry teacher Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, produce and distribute meth after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Judge Clarke said that Williamson, who was not in court, was at the 'very heart' of the conspiracy. 'There are similarities between Williamson and Breaking Bad,' a source told the Sun. 'On the surface, he was a shopkeeper. In reality, he was trading in a very different powder from the lemon sherbet on his shelves.' In connection with the drug operation, three others admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine last month. Former rugby league player Payden Candland, 33, was jailed for 19 years and nine months. While Leo Groves, 33, received 15 years and Ricky Lee, 32, got seven years.
The Irish Sun
20-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Terminally-ill newsagent found to be a drug kingpin behind £52million sale of cocaine — just like TV drama Breaking Bad
A DYING newsagent was found to be a drug kingpin — just like TV drama Breaking Bad. Terminally ill Michael Williamson masterminded the sale of Advertisement 2 The newsagent run by terminally ill drug kingpin Michael Williamson Credit: Matthew Pover His decision to turn to crime has been likened to the hit US series in which chemistry teacher Williamson, 77, led a gang which sold more than half a ton of cocaine over ten years. He was arrested in 2019 when cops raided his home in Salford and newsagents shop in Poynton, Cheshire. They found cocaine worth £137,000, £33,000 in cash and notebooks with 'meticulous records' of names, deals and debts. Advertisement READ MORE UK NEWS Williamson, who had no previous convictions and never married, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs in January at Bolton crown court . His sentence was waived because of his illness and he died earlier this month. Last month, three others admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine. Former rugby league player Payden Candland, 33, got 19 years, nine months, Leo Groves, 33, got 15 years and Ricky Lee, 32, seven years. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Live Blog Sentencing them, His Honour Judge Clarke said the absent Williamson was at the 'very heart' of the conspiracy. A source said: 'There are similarities between Williamson and Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston weighs in on 'fun' Malcolm in the Middle crossover fan theory 'On the surface, he was a shopkeeper. In reality, he was trading in a very different powder from the lemon sherbet on his shelves.' 2 Terminally ill Williamson masterminded the sale of cocaine worth up to £52million - in a plot with echoes of Breaking Bad character Walter White Credit: Alamy Advertisement
Scottish Sun
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Terminally-ill newsagent found to be a drug kingpin behind £52million sale of cocaine — just like TV drama Breaking Bad
The terminally ill crook escaped jail due to his illness DRUG SHOCK Terminally-ill newsagent found to be a drug kingpin behind £52million sale of cocaine — just like TV drama Breaking Bad A DYING newsagent was found to be a drug kingpin — just like TV drama Breaking Bad. Terminally ill Michael Williamson masterminded the sale of cocaine worth up to £52million. 2 The newsagent run by terminally ill drug kingpin Michael Williamson Credit: Matthew Pover His decision to turn to crime has been likened to the hit US series in which chemistry teacher Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, starts producing and distributing meth after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Williamson, 77, led a gang which sold more than half a ton of cocaine over ten years. He was arrested in 2019 when cops raided his home in Salford and newsagents shop in Poynton, Cheshire. They found cocaine worth £137,000, £33,000 in cash and notebooks with 'meticulous records' of names, deals and debts. Williamson, who had no previous convictions and never married, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply drugs in January at Bolton crown court. His sentence was waived because of his illness and he died earlier this month. Last month, three others admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine. Former rugby league player Payden Candland, 33, got 19 years, nine months, Leo Groves, 33, got 15 years and Ricky Lee, 32, seven years. Sentencing them, His Honour Judge Clarke said the absent Williamson was at the 'very heart' of the conspiracy. A source said: 'There are similarities between Williamson and Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston weighs in on 'fun' Malcolm in the Middle crossover fan theory 'On the surface, he was a shopkeeper. In reality, he was trading in a very different powder from the lemon sherbet on his shelves.'
