Victor Hervey, the sixth Marquis of Bristol, masterminded a gang of career criminals and then found himself at the Old Bailey on two counts of jewel theft.
It has long been believed that, when he was convicted in 1939 and sentenced to three years penal servitude, this was the end of Victor's criminal ways. However, recently declassified police documents reveal that after he was released Victor might still have been involved in crime.
As a young man, Victor was expelled from Eton and kicked out of Sandhurst. Infamously, he failed in an attempt at arms-dealing during the Spanish Civil War. Despite enjoying a massive allowance and having won notoriety as Mayfair's biggest playboy, he wanted more.
A shameless self-publicist and fantasist, he was desperate to outshine his notorious relatives and soon cast himself in a new role - that of criminal mastermind extraordinaire.
So, with a gang of ex-public school boys and hardened cons, he set out on criminal career. Hervey's first victim was a Russian princess. His second was a society lady famous for her jewels. However, only two days after this second crime, the police caught up with Hervey and his gang.
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Sat 25 Apr 2009
Victor Hervey, the sixth Marquis of Bristol, masterminded a gang of career criminals and then found himself at the Old…
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