Reformed gangster who found God visits school
A FORMER East End gangster who completely transformed his life after becoming religious has bee inspiring young people in Heaton Chapel.
John Pridmore paid a visit to St Anne’s RC High School to speak to pupils in year 11, who are currently studying hard for their upcoming GCSE exams.
John told the pupils the story of his life, starting with his parents’ divorce when he was 10 years old.
By the time he turned 13, John had started stealing. At 15 he was put in a detention centre and by the age of 19 he was in 23 hour a day solitary confinement. Pupils were keen to hear the story of how, after his troubled youth, he progressed into serious organised crime in London and had all the trappings that came with a life of crime.
John said: “I had what I thought was everything. Money, power, girls, drugs the lot. But yet there was something missing.”
It was a confrontation that almost turned fatal that inspired John to completely transform his life. John experienced the love of God and began to change his life and make right for all the wrong he had done.
He began working with at risk youth, to show them there is another path to the violent one he took as a young man. Today, he spends his life speaking to young people and telling his story.
RE teacher, Kevin Regan said: “It’s good to be reminded there is always forgiveness and it’s never too late to make a change for the better.”
Year 11 pupil Katie Mulligan added: “At this really busy and stressful time for year 11s it was a nice to stop, reflect and hear such an inspirational story.”