George Cornell (né Myers; 13 November 1927 – 10 March 1966) was an English criminal and member of The Richardsons, who were scrap metal dealers and criminals from South London.
George Myers was born in the old boundary of St George In The East on 13 November 1927, to unwed parents, one of seven or eight children.[1]
George and his siblings reportedly changed their surname by deed poll from Myers to Cornell, for their stepfather Joseph Cornell who married their mother, Mary Ann Garrett.[citation needed]
From the age of 12, Cornell often worked as a Billingsgate fishporter, and then at the nearby docks where he ran credit rackets and became friends with Lennie Hamilton and Billy Frost.[citation needed]
On 30 October 1944, his first conviction (as George Myers) came for stealing chickens. In May 1945, he was imprisoned for three years for garage-breaking and larceny after stealing goods.
In 1952, Cornell received fines for assault and wilful damage. In 1953, Cornell was imprisoned for shop breaking (stealing cigarettes and razor blades). He also assaulted two police officers and used insulting words and behaviour, getting off with a 40 shilling fine.
Cornell went on to face several more spells in prison, one for malicious wounding when he is believed to have slashed a woman’s face with a blade. His last spell in prison was in 1963.
Cornell was originally a member of an East End gang called The Watney Streeters, and later became involved with the Kray twins. However he changed sides around 1964 and allied himself with The Richardsons, led by Keith Askem and brothers Charlie and Eddie Richardson.[2]
Cornell, along with The Richardsons colleague and friend "Mad" Frankie Fraser,[3] became an enforcer for the Richardsons and was primarily used by them for talks with the Krays. Meetings were often held in pubs such as The Grave Maurice.[4]
Death
On 9 March 1966, Cornell and his friend Albie Woods entered The Blind Beggar pub, ordered some light ales and then sat upon stools next to the bar. At around 8:30pm, both men were approached by Ronnie Kray and a Kray associate, Ian Barrie; upon seeing him, Cornell smiled and said sardonically, "Well, just look who's here". As a warning to the barmaid and the few others in the pub, Barrie fired two shots into the ceiling, while Kray walked towards Cornell, took out a 9mm Luger, and calmly shot him once in the top of the forehead, above his right eye. The men turned and departed to a waiting car on the street.
Cornell slumped against a nearby pillar, the bullet, apparently, passing straight through him. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died around 3:30 a.m. the following morning, aged 38.[5] Cornell was buried in Camberwell New Cemetery, South London.
The news spread rapidly. Although Ronnie Kray was identified by several eyewitnesses as he calmly left the public house, no one would agree to testify against him and the police were forced to release him from custody.
Cornell was most prominently known for reportedly being the first victim of Ronnie Kray.
