Ronnie Knight's link to infamous £6m robbery as Barbara Windsor's ex dies
Ronnie Knight, Barbara Windsor's ex-husband, has died at the age of 89 leaving behind two children and an infamous reputation that will outlast him.
The former nightclub owner might be best known for being the late actress's former husband, but he was famous in other circles as he made a name for himself in the underworld.
Ronnie was reportedly famous with London's iconic crime brothers The Kray Twins and in 1983, he was linked to the biggest cash theft in history when £6m was stolen from a Security Express depot in Shoreditch, East London.
In 1995, at 60-years-old, Ronnie was sentenced to seven years in prison for handling £314,813 in stolen money that had been linked to the raid.
Here, we take a look behind the headlines to reveal the truth about his infamous life of crime.
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Ronnie had a chequered past (Getty Images)
He was eventually jailed (David Stevens/ANL/REX/Shutterstock)What do you think about Ronnie Knight? Let us know in the comments...
Ronnie was involved in minor incidents when he was young, and as he grew up he ran two establishments - the Artistes and Repertoire Club on Charing Cross Road and its neighbour Tin Pan Alley in Soho, London.
Both venues were linked to the criminal underworld, and over the years Ronnie, alongside his brothers John and James, were linked to the Kray Twins.
In 1980, Ronnie was acquitted of murdering Alfredo Zomparelli, who was nicknamed 'Italian Tony'. He was killed in revenge after he stabbed and killed Ronnie's brother in 1970.
On 4 January 1995, 16 days before his 61st birthday, Ronnie was sentenced to seven years in prison for handling the stolen money.
He was linked to the biggest cash robbery in history (EX)
Ronnie went on the run while married to Barbara Windsor (Bryn Colton/REX/Shutterstock)The East Ender had initially gone on the run to Spain, becoming one of the so-called 'Famous Five', who ended up in the Costa del Crime (Sol).
It's been reported that the gangster met EastEnders legend Barbara while running clubs in Soho, and speaking about their relationship, Ronnie said: "I've loved all the ladies in my life. But I found what I wanted with Barbara."
The couple married in 1964, however, Ronnie didn't say goodbye to Babs when he scarpered to Spain, later saying she was "fixed on this showbusiness thing" and he knew he would be gone for some time.
He denied he went to Europe because of the robbery, saying: "I just woke up that morning and thought, 'I'm going'."
After 22 years of marriage, they parted ways (Mirrorpix)Ronnie and Barbara divorced in 1985, and the late star also dated gangster Reggie Kray and his older brother Charlie.
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And while married to Ronnie, she had a three-year affair with Carry On co-star Sid James after finally giving in to his advances.
The Peggy Mitchell star once told us: "He'd been pestering me for months. At the time, I didn't even fancy him.
"But he obviously thought I was this raving, sexy little thing and I thought if I did the dirty deed he'd leave me alone."
Ronnie leaves behind two children from his marriage to Elizabeth White, who he married in 1954, a daughter Lorraine, who was born in 1956 and a son Garry, who he welcomed in 1959.
Despite his life of crime, the East Ender always denied he was a "gangster", preferring instead the term "loveable rascal".
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