[6][7] Organised crime was on the rise in Britain during the 1960s, with the most notable events being the gangland wars between the Krays and the Richardson Gang.
Sibbet was a money collector for a company run by Luvaglio's brother which supplied working men's clubs with fruit machines.
[3] The company supplied the entire north east representing a lucrative business for underworld gangs.
[1][4] Sibbet's body was discovered the following morning at 5:15 a.m. by a miner[1] in the back seat of his Jaguar, having been shot three times.
[3] As motive for his murder, the prosecution alleged Sibbet had been skimming the takings,[3][5] estimated as £1,000 a week,[1] supported by the fact he could afford to buy a Jaguar Mark 10.
[6] Stafford was re-imprisoned for two years in 1989[1][5] after breaching his licence by leaving the country, in the meantime setting up in business in South Africa.
He was arrested after re-entering the country and being caught in a security check at a hotel where Mikhail Gorbachev was staying.
The song "5:15 am" by Mark Knopfler from his 2004 album Shangri-La tells the story of the one-armed bandit murder and reflects on its effect on the community.