A member of the Great Train Robbery gang, of which he was treasurer, he was shot dead on the doorstep of his Marbella home in 1990.
Of heavy build and handsome appearance, with piercing blue eyes, Wilson was, from an early age, an intimidating presence.
His friends from childhood included Jimmy Hussey, Tommy Wisbey, Bruce Reynolds and Gordon Goody.
While he did have legitimate work in his in-laws' grocer's shop, he also was a thief and his criminal proceeds went into buying shares in various gambling enterprises.
Sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, he was held at HMP Winson Green, where after just four months on 12 August 1964, he arranged for a three-man gang to break in and facilitate his escape.
[3] Having successfully evaded re-capture for four years, Wilson was caught on 24 January 1968,[2] after his wife telephoned her parents in England, thus enabling Scotland Yard to track them down.
[6] Returning to England, Wilson served 10 more years in the train robbers secure unit at HMP Durham.
[1][2] After five minutes of conversation, the visitor kicked Wilson in the groin, broke his nose, and shot him twice, once in the neck and once in the head.
Adkins, a heavy drug user as well as dealer, was furious with Wilson, and would not agree to peaceful terms arranged by intermediaries.
On 10 February 1996, Danny 'Scarface' Roff, who had recently been released from prison, was wounded in the spine when a gunman walked into a club he was visiting and shot him multiple times.