Sheer lunacy: Disabled gangster had his carer murdered - now, incredibly, his family want to sue the NHS for not keeping up the same level of care



The family of a disabled Ugandan drug lord who had his carer killed because they feared he knew too much are threatening to sue the health service after the gangster died.



Clifford Denty was given round-the clock treatment on the NHS after he was left paralysed in a nightclub shooting.



No expense was spared for the Ugandan immigrant. Thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money was spent converting his council property and he was provided with a team of carers and given a converted Mercedes under a Government scheme.



Knew too much: Carer Curtis Smith, left, was executed in July 2008 with a machine gun by Clifford's brother Andrew Denty, right

But, although he was confined to a wheelchair, Denty continued his drug dealing activities to fund a luxurious lifestyle.



But when his main carer, Curtis Smith, realised the extent of his illicit activities, Denty and his brother Andrew decided he had to be silenced.



Andrew Denty shot Mr Smith repeatedly in the head with machine gun.

In the wake of the killing, the NHS withdrew Clifford Denty’s care and said if he wanted further help he would have to move into a residential home.



He refused and stayed in the family home. In October last year, he died in his sleep from pneumonia and blood poisoning.



Astonishingly, despite the £1.5million of taxpayers money spent on Denty’s care, his family are threatening to sue the NHS for negligence. The family’s lawyer yesterday said: ‘In this case care wasn’t up to scratch. There was a feeling Clifford didn’t get a fair crack of the whip.’

Drugs kingpin: Ugandan drug lord Clifford Denty had a team of carers after being paralysed in a nightclub accident

Andrew Denty, 33, is serving a life term for the murder of Denty’s carer, while his brother Ricky was recently released from a jail term for gun running and is now fighting deportation.



Clifford Denty’s death exposed the underworld life of criminality, violence and excess enjoyed by him and his brothers which appears to have started shortly after their mother’s death in 1992.



Joyce Denty had arrived in the UK in 1987 from Uganda with three of Clifford Denty’s brothers and two other siblings.



She claimed, and was granted asylum, and settled in Streatham, south London.





'Fair crack of the whip'



Shortly after her death, Clifford and his brothers found themselves being cared for by members of the extended family and quickly descended into a life of crime.



In March 1997 Clifford admitted 14 counts of robbery and was jailed for six years. He served less than five, and was released on licence in September 2001.



Just months after his release he was shot in the back of the neck outside a south London nightclub and left paralysed from the neck down. He spent three years in hospital but returned home in a wheelchair to run his drugs empire with his brothers.



The local Primary Care Trust spent tens of thousands of pounds converting his council house near Waterloo Station to take his wheelchair and other medical equipment.



Clifford was given 24/7 care supplied by a private company contracted by the NHS, at a cost of at least £200,000 a year. He was also handed the keys to a converted £20,000 Mercedes people carrier.



Despite having no qualifications, his brother Andrew was employed as his carer and drove him around. The vehicle was also used by part-time bouncer Ricky Denty to deliver Russian-made guns.



In 2008 one of his carers, Mr Smith, told his wife and manager he had been threatened by Andrew Denty and seen guns left around the house.



In July 2008 the Andrew Denty and Smith took Clifford to the Club Red nightclub in Cable Street for a birthday party. When they left in the early hours, Andrew used a Mach 10 machine gun to shoot Mr Smith repeatedly in the back of the head. He was jailed for life at the Old Bailey in July 2009 with a minimum term of 35 years.



In April last year health officials tried to take Clifford to a care home, because they feared for the safety of the carers going into the house. But he refused to go.



The family then ran up a £13,000 bill with a private care company who looked after Clifford – and want to recover the money from the NHS.

