Author and actor Dave Courtney passed away on October 22, 2023, at the age of 64. The news was confirmed by his family, as per The Sun. Before pursuing his career in acting, Courtney was linked to criminal figures like Reggie Kray and Lenny McLean. A statement on social media, which was quoted by Sky News claimed that Dave Courtney allegedly had taken his own life.
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of a suicide. Discretion is advised.
Dave's family shared a statement on his social media channels announcing his death.
"It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dave Courtney at age of 64. Details about funeral arrangements will be provided in due course. His family ask for respect during this period of mourning," the statement read.
Dave Courtney's cause of death was revealed through social media
According to the Daily Star, Courtney was discovered dead inside his residence on Sunday morning. That Dave took his own life was also revealed in a statement shared through his official account on X. It reads:
"Dave tragically took his own life in the early hours of Sunday 22nd October, with a firearm at his Camelot Castle home in Plumstead."
A spokesperson for the Met Police says that police officers responded to the reports of a deceased man at Chestnut Rise, SE18, as per Daily Star. No one has been arrested until now.
"Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended. A 64-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has been informed. Formal identification has not taken place. The death is currently being treated as unexpected and is under investigation."
Rumors of Courtney's death started making rounds on the internet before it was officially confirmed through social media. A post shared on X requested everyone to not share anything that has been posted by third-party sources.
Dave Courtney was involved in some legal issues before he changed focus to acting and writing
Mirror states that Dave Courtney was initially a debt collector. He once revealed that he was sent to the Belmarsh Prison, as per The Sun. The outlet states that two firearm charges were later imposed on him.
While he pursued his career as an author, he revealed a lot of details about his past as a criminal. He was known for making security arrangements during criminal Reggie Kray's funeral in 1995. His net worth was reported to be somewhere between $5 million and $30 million, as per The Sun.
He published six books throughout his career like Dodgy Dave's Little Black Book, Heroes & Villains, and more. He was popular for his appearance in the film titled Hell to Pay, which was loosely based on his life. He portrayed Dave Malone and it was directed by Roberto Gomez Martin.
He made his film debut with the crime drama film, The Krays, released in 1990. He continued appearing in many other films like The Dead Sleep Easy, One in Something, and Clubbing to Death.
Courtney was married to Jennifer Lucrea Pinto, as per The Sun. In 2004, he was charged with hitting Jennifer but the charges were dropped later.
Additional details about Dave Courtney's death or the reason behind him taking his own life weren't revealed at the time of writing this article.