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Tony Argent
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Tony Argent was born in 1967 in London’s East End and became one of London’s gangsters known for his violent tendencies and criminal activities. Argent’s life escalated from the petty crimes of his youth to serious violent assaults that peaked with murder.
Argent has spent a significant amount of his life behind bars after being caught for several altercations but largely due to the murder of Paul Edmonds in 1998. Prison has been the cause of his continued downfall before aiding him with his recent transformation to become reformed.
After his last stint in prison for murder, Argent has come out of prison seeking redemption and is aiming to help young people in similar situations to what he faced to find a different path.
Early life
[edit]Argent was born in East London in an area called Silvertown[1] which was near East India Dock and was a poor area. The estate was comprised of two tower blocks, which Argent grew up on the 20th floor of one of the blocks, a small circle of shops and little else. The area was surrounded by docks, industrial buildings and land that was abandoned after the war and still bore the destruction from the bombings.
He grew up with both parents two brothers and a sister. His family worked hard but they had little to show for it. Argent’s parents despite living in an impoverished area rife with crime, had good morals and discouraged their children from getting involved in crime. Argent fondly remembers how his parents would make sure they had a good Christmas. [2]
The violence in Argent’s life started at a young age in nursery school where he was faced with bullies and was often hit by other boys. He didn’t like to fight but was encouraged to stand up for himself by his father but always lost. It wasn’t until an incident witnessed by his mother, where a group of bullies threw a stone at him that his mother gently urged him to stand up for himself, that it ignited the fire in him to win.
Argent didn’t enjoy school and wasn’t academic, but liked the less academic subjects such as games and PE. He was labeled like his eldest brother as a troublemaker and often singled out.
From the age of 10, Argent began to engage in criminal activity starting with petty theft and mugging to get food and to survive[1]. At the age of 14, he began to get involved with local gangs and his criminal behaviour escalated.
After school, he dabbled in boxing and struggled to hold down a job that he enjoyed and could make a career of.
Criminal career
[edit]Much of Argent’s criminal career is unknown apart from what he has discussed openly himself[3][4][1] or being convicted of in court[5][6]. He is however known in the 1990s as a notorious and mercilessly violent figure being described as highly dangerous as noted by Mr Justice Kenneth Parker[5] on the London criminal scene.
After an early criminal career in petty theft moving up to burglaries and robberies, his penchant for violence also escalated furthering his decline into a life of criminality. He became a member of a gang that felt to him like a family where they would work together going out on the trains to cause trouble in more affluent areas of London/ They would fight on the trains using umbrellas as weapons in case they got stopped by the police. They would steal clothing and food to share between them. This is where Argent first started to get his reputation for his violence.
His first incarceration happened when he was 15 in a detention center but he was originally given community service. Argent even then had a reputation that he wanted to uphold and was keen to be seen in a certain way, so when he was spotted by his friends painting a building as part of his community service and ridiculed by them, he quit. This led to him being taken back to court and despite his father’s pleas, Argent refused to return to complete his community service so was sent to a detention center.
Hollesley Bay Detention Centre gave him his first insight into the oppression and horrific treatment young boys faced including bullying not just by the inmates but by the staff as well. This short spell in the detention center sent Argent spiraling for many reasons, firstly as he left bitter and angry at the treatment, secondly, he was received outside like a film star as he got more female attention for his bad boy image, and finally, as he had lost who he was to violence and become someone else.
Argent admits that he has an addictive personality and as he got access to more things such as drugs and women, he wanted more so his behaviour and criminal activities escalated too. His reputation for violence was now well known and he was used as a weapon and manipulated in handling situations for other people including terrorising and intimidating rivals. So the circle of violence continued and grew, and he ended up with another stint in a detention center at Borstal.
In 1992, Argent went to prison again at Blundeston for a violent altercation with serious injuries. He was working at a restaurant where he had to handle a customer who was being offensive and showed a knife to him, and despite de-escalating the situation, Argent couldn’t let the situation lie as he had a reputation to uphold and couldn’t be seen to back down. So, Argent went to the kitchen, got a knife and stabbed the man nearly killing him.
This incident escalated further when the police raided his parents’ flat and an officer insulted his family. Argent swore to get revenge on the officer and after being released by the police the next day, he and a friend seriously beat the officer. His friend escaped the area, but Argent was caught and was sentenced for both offenses. He was 23 years old at this point and went on to serve six years at Blundeston Prison.
It was at Blundeston Prison where Argent’s reputation grew further and his violence escalated again. In prison, he was seen as someone who could handle himself and sort others out which led to him being asked to protect prisoners and deliver retribution. Argent would cover up the prison cameras using a stick and bread so that he could stab other inmates, but the focus of these attacks was on sex offenders.
He recalls at times how they would play football or music whilst getting high on drugs which were rife in the prison. They would even conduct armed robberies in the prison stealing from the other wings. His time in Blundeston Prison made him more addicted to drugs and made him more violent. On coming out he had an even bigger reputation to live up to than before.
The height of Argent’s criminal career was in 1998. He was in a dark place and very much out of control in this period of his life. On 1 November 1998, Argent got into an altercation with some other men which included Paul Edmonds outside a pub in Plaistow [7]. Both Argent and Edmonds knew each other and although they weren’t enemies they both had criminal records. The full details of the motive have never come to light. For Paul Edmonds' murder[6], Argent was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years at the Old Bailey when he was aged 32. [5]
Argent served 22 years in prison mainly in category A prisons until he was released in 2019. [2] The murder conviction was a turning point in Argent’s life as it was during his time at Grendon Prison that he started to reflect on his life and actions.[1] He actively engaged with the prison programmes for rehabilitation which included courses to understand his behaviour, therapy and empathy-building exercises. He was then able to acknowledge that he was grappling with mental health problems [5] and was disillusioned by the criminal lifestyle which had contributed to his anger and violence. He found solace in this and support from the prison staff who were great in assisting him.
Redemption, Advocacy and Outreach
[edit]Argent began his path to redemption in prison where he tried to understand why he had become the way he had and understand his triggers. He tried to support his fellow inmates and even coached some in boxing with one going on to become a respected boxer after his release. [2]
He knew the moment that he held a baby family member that he had to change his course and become a better person for her so that he could be around to watch her grow. He praises the support he received from the staff in the prison and the continued support of his probation team who helped him. He wants to change and move forward in his life and have people be proud of him for the right reasons.
But Argent didn't want to stop there in just changing himself, he sees the need in society for people like him to speak up and educate the young people who are on a path to criminality like he did.[1] He understands that he has a reputation and people respect him for the wrong reasons and he wants to turn that around so others understand what he went through and are discouraged from following in his footsteps.[1]
After leaving prison Argent released YouTube videos on Liquid Bullet Productionz[4] and did a revealing interview with James English[3] on his life with the hope that by sharing his experiences and insights on his criminal life and in particular knife crime can help others. [3]
Argent also engages with communities and organisations for youth groups and crime prevention to share his experiences and advocate for taking a better path.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Argent grew up in a close family unit in East London with his two brothers and a sister. His family is very important to him, and he fondly remembers the times they spent together and how protective he is of them. He particularly looked up to and admired his eldest brother who he shared a lot of traits and being his tougher, seven-year-old brother he saw him as his savior as a kid.
Family remains a very important part of Argent’s life and he now strives to win their respect and not to fail them as he feels he has in the past.
Legacy
[edit]Argent is currently on a journey to build himself a new legacy that can overshadow his original one. As a reformed criminal he is striving to create a voice for redemption and rehabilitation as well as trying to deter young people from going down the wrong path into a life of crime. His work on his YouTube videos and face-to-face in the community is what Argent wants to be remembered for and is proud of. [4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g says, Adam Edward Spencer (2021-09-01). "Educate and Believe! 'I absolutely hated Grendon… but I needed it'". insidetime & insideinformation. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b c (2022-10-16). "Get to know about Tony Argent". The Sun. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
{{cite web}}:|last=has numeric name (help) - ^ a b c Anything Goes With James English (2020-12-09). 28 years in prison - Notorious London Gangster Tony Argent tells his story. Retrieved 2024-12-10 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c Liquid Bullet Productionz (2021-07-02). TOUGHEST CONVICT- TONY ARGENT #prison #podcast. Retrieved 2024-12-10 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d "Man who murdered in Plaistow will stay in jail". Newham Recorder. 2011-11-25. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ a b "Tony Argent - murder - 1999 - murder Sultan Pub, Grange Road, Plaistow". Black Kalendar. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ "Southend: Jail for witness who was too scared to testify". Gazette. 1999-11-04. Retrieved 2024-12-10.