Honicknowle Defence Regiment

The Honicknowle Defence Regiment (HDR) was a mid-2000s criminal gang from Honicknowle, Plymouth. At one point they were dubbed one of the most feared gangs in the United Kingdom.

Honicknowle Defence Regiment
Founded2003
Founded byNeil Jacks [1]
Founding locationHonicknowle, Plymouth
Years active2003–2011
TerritoryHonicknowle, West Park, Whitleigh, all in Plymouth
EthnicityWhite British
Membership (est.)50
Criminal activitiesassault, robbery, shoplifting, car jacking, arson, vandalism, among others.

History and founding

The HDR is thought to have first appeared in 2003. By 2004 the group had already committed hundreds of acts of vandalism around Honicknowle, as well as serious assault, robbery and sexual offences.

They met on a bridge to fight with a copycat group named The Whitleigh Mental Mafia.[2]

Disbanding

Between 2008-2009 many senior members of the group were charged after an effort by the police to disband the organization, which was reported to be becoming a more sophisticated crime syndicate. The leader, Nathan Danvers, was given a prison sentence in 2008 and others received non-custodial sentences,[3] although many were later incarcerated for separate crimes. The last reported crime attributed to the HDR was in 2011.

Legacy

No robbery was reported in the area over the whole of 2016.[4]

The group is the first criminal organization from Plymouth to be reported about in a national newspaper, being featured in The Mirror[5] and in The Daily Telegraph. The group also received coverage from the BBC.[6]

References
  1. "The rise and fall of the Honicknowle Defence Regiment". The Herald. November 14, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
  2. "Rival gangs 'met on a footbridge for a fight'". Cornwalllive.com. 16 September 2009.
  3. Wardrop, Murray (2009-04-17). "Teenage gangsters responsible for more than 300 crimes are given Asbos". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  4. UKcrimestats. "Crime in Honicknowle and West Park". Ukcrimestats.com.
  5. Smith, Richard (14 July 2009). "Hoodie ban lifted on yobs because mum buys their clothes". Mirror.co.uk.
  6. "Teenage gang face prison threat". BBC News. 2009-04-17. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
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