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7 months ago
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An armed robber has been laid to rest in a 'Sopranos-style' funeral with tributes to his life of crime - including flowers shaped like a Mac-10 submachine gun, a balaclava, a burner phone, bolt cutters and a Rolex watch.
Mourners at convicted criminal Matthew Ferry's send-off in Edinburgh also saw arrangements spelling out the words 'Smash and grab', 'Cartier' and 'Laings' - referring to the raid which saw him jailed for 13 years.
Ferry, 33, was found dead in prison last month while serving his sentence for a terrifying armed robbery of a Laings jewellery store in the Scottish capital in which he got away with £230,000-worth of watches.
When police later arrested him at his grandmother's home they found he had stashed a Mac-10 submachine gun there, as well as heroin estimated to have a street value of £50,000.
Reports have suggested jailed gangster Mark Richardson - Ferry's cousin - spent thousands of pounds on the wreaths at the funeral on April 12 at Mortonhall Crematorium and Edinburgh's Saughton Cemetery.
Floral tributes at 33-year-old Matthew Ferry's funeral in Edinburgh made eye-catching references to a raid on a jeweller's store for which he was jailed
Ferry died last month in HMP Edinburgh while serving a 13-year sentence over the terrifying armed robbery he carried out in the Scottish capital nine years ago
Among the wreaths put on display after the April 12 funeral depicted a Mac-10 submachine gun, similar to the one Ferry had stashed at his grandmother's home at the time of the crime
The Scottish Sun quoted a source as saying: 'Richardson and Ferry were tight, they were more like brothers than cousins.
'Richardson wanted to pay tribute to him in his own way and show that he could still get it done even though he's in jail.'
One mourner said: 'It was the most remarkable funeral I've ever been to - it was like something out of The Sopranos.'
'The flowers were amazing. There were bouquets devoted to his biggest crime – where he carried out an armed raid and stole a load of watches from a jeweller in the town.
'There were flowers made into shapes like a machine gun, watches, balaclavas, bolt cutters. One said "Smash and Grab" in big letters.
'There was even one with the logo of the jewellers he robbed. I've never seen anything like it.'
An unsigned card left for Ferry, who was found dead in his HMP Edinburgh cell on March 25, read: 'We spoke about it since we were young offenders.
'Now someone better tell the other jewellers to up their security because when I'm out there's no way you're the only one with this on your CV.
'I might be thick but I'm wise enough no to leave my name here or I'd be caught already. RIP x.'
The wreath designed to resemble a Rolex watch nodded to how Ferry had got away with watches worth £230,000 in the 2015 armed robbery - they have never been recovered
There were also references to jewellery brand Cartier and Laings, the name of the firm whose branch in Edinburgh he stole from
Mourners have compared the funeral to TV series The Sopranos about a US mafia firm
Another said: 'You were too fast to live. Crime all the time! Take it easy cuz and keep me a seat, this is not goodbye x.'
The service and burial were followed by a wake in Edinburgh's Silver Wing, said to have had a heavy 'police presence' monitoring it - though the mourner said officers 'kept their distance', Edinburgh Live reported.
Friends and family have also left tributes on an online page dedicated to his memory which says: 'He is much loved and will always be remembered.
'Matthew, a much-loved son of Lorraine and Manus, loving brother of Shaun, Michael and Lori, cherished grandson of the late Mary and a loved cousin and nephew who will be sadly missed by all his Hutchison family, extended family and many friends.'
Tommy Hood who posted on Facebook: 'Rest easy Matthew Ferry. You got a top turnout from all the boys that meant most to you. Loved and missed by many many people.'
The watches Ferry stole have never been recovered, while he dropped stock worth another £23,000 when fleeing the store.
Staff at the Laings branch in Frederick Street, Edinburgh, needed counselling after the ordeal which was caught on CCTV.
Ferry, wearing a hood, had pointed a gun at the store's manager and shouted: 'Put the f***ing watches in the f***ing bag or I'll shoot you.'
One card left at Perry's funeral described him as 'too fast to live', adding: 'Crime all the time!'
Among the other floral tributes was one designed to look like a burner phone
The funeral service was held on April 12 at Edinburgh's Mortonhall Crematorium before he was buried at Saughton Cemetery in the Scottish capital
He was caught after the store's managing director followed him through the streets and urged passers-by to capture pictures on their phones of a taxi he had hijacked to make his getaway.
After being tracked down by police, Ferry later pleaded guilty to five charges at the High Court in Edinburgh - armed robbery, assault, abduction, possessing the machine gun and involvement in drug dealing.
His trial judge Lord Glennie said when sentencing: 'It's clear this must have been terrifying for your victims, both in the shop and the taxi.'
A fatal accident inquiry is due be held after Ferry's death last month.
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