Barbara Windsor's ex-husband Ronni Knight, who was jailed for a £6million robbery, has died aged 89.
Ronnie Knight passed away on Monday at a nursing home in Cambridgeshire after battling with Parkinson's Disease.
He had been supported by his third ex-wife Sue Haylock during his illness, with a friend saying: “Sue was a tower of strength for Ronnie.
“A lot of people are going to be a upset to hear the news about his death. He was a rogue – but a very loveable one.”
Another family friend told The Sun: “His condition had deteriorated over the last few weeks. He got pneumonia and never recovered.”
On 4 January 1995, 16 days before his 61st birthday, Ronnie was sentenced to seven years in prison for handling £314,813 in stolen money from the 1983 £6m armed robbery at a Security Express depot in Shoreditch, East London.
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).
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.
The gangster met EastEnders legend Barbara while running clubs in Soho.
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."
Ronnie and Barbara divorced in 1985. The actress also dated gangster Reggie Kray and his older brother Charlie; and while married to Ronnie she had a three-year affair with Carry On co-star Sid James after finally giving into 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".
