Inmate held hand of gang boss as he suffered fatal heart attack

FORMER GOOCH LEADER, 48, COLLAPSED IN HIS PRISON CELL

- By JOHN SCHEERHOUT

JAILED former Gooch gang boss Lee Amos collapsed and died after suffering a heart attack in prison, an inquest concluded.

Amos, who had undiagnosed heart disease, was found sweating and clutching his chest by a fellow inmate who held his hand after he collapsed in his cell at HMP Oakwood, a privately-operated category C prison in Staffordshire, on April 22 last year. He was given CPR in his cell but he died later in hospital, aged 48.

He was serving life with a minimum 35 years behind bars for a drive-by killing at a wake in 2007. Mourners dived for cover when Amos and four other Gooch gang members opened fire.

Tyrone Gilbert, 24, was killed.

Amos had also been suspected over the murder of the man for whom the wake was being held - Ucal Chin - but the jury which convicted him of Mr Gilbert's murder couldn’t reach a verdict. The judge ordered that the charge lie on file.

Known by the nickname ‘Cabbo, Amos and Gooch gang header Colin ‘Piggy’ Joyce were jailed in 2009. Joyce was also convicted of Mr Gilbert's murder and ordered to serve a minimum of 39 years.

Six former Gooch members testified against the pair, who were also convicted of attempted murder and possession of firearms. Six weeks prior to Mr Gilbert's funeral, Joyce ‘executed’ Mr Chin, 23, in a daylight ambush.

Joyce pulled up in an Audi and peppered Mr Chin’s car with 9mm bullets from a converted Russian Baikal self-loading pistol. Mr Chin was killed because Amos and Joyce believed he was a member of the Longsight Crew.