Murder accused Jack Crawley tells jury: 'I worked for Mafia gang'

The 20-year-old defendant, who denies murder and attempted murder, made the claim as he gave further evidence about his background and his claim that he was forced to commit serious crimes by a crime gang.

Under questioning from his barrister, he named the crime group as Central Grove Mafia.

They were giving him criminal missions and controlling him when he killed Paul Taylor on October 18, 2023, said Crawley.

The defendant, a security guard at the city’s Cumberland Infirmary, said he was stealing Mr Taylor’s car on October 18 when the 56-year-old fell during an altercation and hit his head on concrete.

Despite him giving Mr Taylor CPR, he died at the scene, said Crawley, who denies that he attacked the hospital catering manager with a hammer while he was alive.  

He wanted only to take his car, not to kill him, said Crawley. The defendant claimed he needed a car because he had been ordered to do two burglaries by his crime bosses – a raid on a cannabis farm and another burglary.

Because he was in debt to the gang, its bosses had made him "tax" or steal from other criminals since he was in his mid teens, said the defendant.

After Crawley resumed giving evidence yesterday, his defence KC Toby Hedworth asked him: “You have told the jury that you have previously attempted suicide. One of those occasions was five or six years ago.

“All three of them were,” said Crawley.

Mr Hedworth continued: “As a result, did you need to seek medical assistance.” Crawley said he did.

“Did you make reference to the fact that you were involved in drug dealing?” asked the barrister.

Crawley answered: “Yes. Based on what I told them, concern was raised that I was involved in county lines drug dealing.”

Mr Hedworth referred the defendant to an earlier comment he had made in evidence that he could say which crime group he was working for at the time Mr Taylor died.

“What is the name of the criminal group?” asked Mr Hedworth.

Crawley replied: “CGM, Central Grove Mafia… I did offer the prosecution an overview of this but they asked no further questions about it.”

Mr Hedworth then asked Crawley about text messages he had exchanged referring to the video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA). The barrister asked what the purpose of those messages was.

Crawley replied: “It was code.”

He said he had sent those messages as a way of confirming to his co-defendant Marcus Goodfellow, 20, that criminal jobs he had been ordered to do were still on.

He could not send messages openly referring to picking up stolen cars or burgling the homes of drug dealers, he said.

Goodfellow denies being involved in organised crime, or knowing the circumstances behind Crawley acquiring Mr Taylor’s Vauxhall Corsa car at the time they took it to Langwathby.

The defendant was then cross-examined by prosecutor David McLachlan KC.

Asking about the suicide attempts, Mr McLachlan began: “Mr Crawley, you’ve been quite busy lying again, haven’t you? A moment ago, you told this jury that you had tried to take your own life on three separate occasions; is that right?”

“Yes,” agreed Crawley.

The barrister pointed out an earlier statement in which the defendant spoke of two suicide attempts, not three. Which statement was true, he asked Crawley. “One of them was two times in one day,” replied the defendant.

Crawley denied exaggerating, saying his claims were recorded in his medical records. His involvement in county lines drug dealing was essentially “gang drug dealing,” he said.

Mr McLachlan asked about the defendant’s claimed link to a mafia crime group, saying the gang in question were called “Certified Grove Mafia” rather than "Central Grove Mafia" as claimed by Crawley. 

“They go by different names,” said Crawley.

“Tell the jury what CGM do,” said Mr McLachlan.

Crawley replied: “They are a west London drug dealing gang.” The barrister asked: “Into music, are they?” Crawley said: “Yes. Some of them. They’re rappers. Yes.” Mr McLachlan asked if the group was “big in Carlisle.”

Responding, Crawley said: “It’s eight hours on the train to Carlisle."

Mr McLachlan said: “Your life is just one big lie, isn’t it, Mr Crawley?” The defendant said that was not true.

During this phase of questioning, Crawley asked the prosecutor: “Do you say I’m lying about my involvement in gang crime? You say I’m making it all up? Concerns were raised almost six years ago about county lines.

“Concerns like that are not made unless I have made certain declarations, said certain things; that I am involved in that.”

Mr McLachlan said: “I am suggesting you are not controlled by anyone. You did what you did, you killed a man, for no reason. That’s what I’m suggesting.”

Crawley said he would not have tried to steal Mr Taylor’s car if he had not been under instruction to do so. He said the plan was to steal a car before changing its number plates and using it for a burglary.

This was supposed to happen at a location in Darlington, he said. In earlier evidence, Crawley said he had hit Mr Taylor's dead body with a hammer after attempting to burn it at Finglandrigg Nature Reserve.

He believed this would make the remains "crumble," he said.

The defendant, of Sheehan Crescent, Carlisle, also denies attempting to murder a man in York after he skipped his police bail in December following his initial arrest. He told he jury he was acting in self-defence.

The trial continues.