Notorious criminal ‘Chopper’ Read dies, aged 58

Mark “Chopper” Read, one of Australia’s most notorious and colourful crime figures, has died aged 58.

Read, who spent 23 years in prison for a variety of crimes including assault and armed robbery, had liver cancer. He was known for robbing fellow criminals and torturing his victims with blowtorches. He said he never hurt an innocent person.

He wrote more than a dozen books detailing his long career of violence, including one entitled How to Shoot Friends and Influence People. He gained international fame in 2000 after Australian- born actor Eric Bana played him in the film Chopper.