Jack Slipper
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Jack Kenneth Slipper (20 April 1924, in
Early life
Slipper was born in
Early police career
Slipper joined the
He joined the Criminal Investigation Department (
He was involved in the investigation of the Shepherd's Bush murders in which three unarmed policemen were shot dead in Shepherd's Bush in August 1966, for which three men were later convicted.
Great Train Robbery
Slipper is mainly notable for his role in investigating the
After being sentenced to 30 years imprisonment in 1964, Biggs escaped from
In January 1968 after six years with the Flying Squad, and most of the wanted Train Robbers caught, Slipper decided to return to Division and gained promotion to Detective Chief Inspector in September of that year. After a few other postings, in March 1973 he returned to the Flying Squad as operational Chief Superintendent.
1974 extradition attempt
Despite rumours, Biggs remained untraced until 1974, when he gave an interview to the Daily Express. The newspaper passed his location on to the police, and Biggs was captured on 1 February. Slipper travelled to Brazil, where he attempted to arrest Biggs in a hotel in Rio de Janeiro, with the words "Long time no see, Ronnie." But the Brazilian government turned down the request for extradition, on the grounds that Biggs was to become the father of his pregnant Brazilian girlfriend's child (Michael Biggs, to be born 16 August 1974), and Slipper was forced to return home empty-handed. Famously, Slipper was photographed on the plane home, sleeping next to an empty seat, and was christened "Slip-up of the Yard" by the press.[1]
1981 Scots Guardsmen kidnapping
Biggs was abducted by former Scots Guardsmen in 1981 and taken to Barbados. An extradition request was made, but it was denied due to the lack of a treaty between the United Kingdom and Barbados; he was returned to Brazil.
Biggs' return to U.K.
Biggs finally returned voluntarily to the UK in May 2001. He was accompanied by Bruce Reynolds on a private plane. Slipper believed[why?] that Biggs should not be released, and regularly appeared in the media to comment on any news item connected to the robbery.
Later police career
He was involved in several major investigations such as the
Slipper helped to set up the Robbery Squad, which later merged into the Flying Squad.[citation needed]
After the
Later life
Slipper retired in 1979 after 28 years service, and became a security consultant. He worked in security for
After his retirement, Slipper returned to Rio and met Ronnie Biggs once again, later remarking that "[Biggs'] villa was bog-standard and in the wrong end of town. His swimming pool was so black with algae even a stickleback couldn't live in it. He was flogging T-shirts to tourists to make a living."[2]
He published an autobiography, Slipper of the Yard, in 1981. He sued the BBC for libel after a television film,
Slipper was awarded the Lord Willis Award in 2004 for his CID work.
He was diagnosed with cancer in 1999 and died 6 years later, aged 81. He was survived by his wife, Anne, and two daughters.
References
- ^ "Ronnie Biggs: Freedom". Retrieved 20 March 2012.
- ^ Mark Steyn, Passing Parade: Obituaries and Appreciations (Woodsville, NH: Stockade Books, 2006)
- Obituary, BBC, 24 August 2005
- Obituary, The Times, 25 August 2005
- Obituary, The Guardian, 25 August 2005
- Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 25 August 2005
- Obituary[dead link], The Independent, 27 August 2005
- Death of Slipper, the man who tracked down Ronnie Biggs, The Daily Telegraph, 26 August 2005
- The lives they lived: Jack Slipper, The Guardian, 4 December 2005
- 1976: Bank robbers jailed for 100 years, BBC, On This Day, 16 November
Further reading
- Slipper of the Yard: Autobiography of Jack Slipper. ISBN 0-283-98702-2
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