Background
Born in Birmingham in 1960, Bernard O’Mahoney moved to Essex and in 1988 took over the security at Raquels nightclub in Basildon. He partnered with Tony Tucker, met Craig Rolfe through him, and was present for the rise of what the media would later call the Essex Boys.
The break
O’Mahoney walked out of Raquels on 16 November 1995 – the same night Leah Betts took the ecstasy tablet that killed her. He has since written that he could see where the operation was headed and wanted out before he ended up dead or in prison.
Three weeks later, Tucker, Tate and Rolfe were murdered at Rettendon.
Author and witness
O’Mahoney has gone on to write multiple books about the Essex Boys era, including Essex Boys, So This Is Ecstasy, and Wannabe in My Gang?. He has been a recurring voice in documentaries, articles, and the ongoing debate over the conviction of Michael Steele and Jack Whomes.
On screen
In 2021, Vinnie Jones played Bernard O’Mahoney in Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins, the prequel covering the formation of the Essex firm.