Jimmy Boyle (artist) Jimmy Boyle (artist) James Boyle (born 17 May 1944) is a Scottish gangster and convicted murderer who became a sculptor and novelist after his release from prison. In 1967, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of another gangland figure, William "Babs" Rooney, but released after 14 years. He has always denied killing Rooney but has acknowledged having been a violent and sometimes ruthless moneylender from the Gorbals, one of the roughest areas of Glasgow. During his incarceration in the special unit of Barlinnie Prison, he turned to art and wrote an autobiography, "A Sense of Freedom" (1977),
Sentenced for Life (1960 film) to stay awake whilst Francis Matthews attempts to resolve a miscarriage of justice." Sentenced for Life (1960 film) Sentenced for Life is a low budget 1960 British crime film, directed by Max Varnel and starring Basil Dignam, Jack Gwillim, Francis Matthews, and Jill Williams. Engineer John Richards is wrongly accused of selling secrets to enemy agents, and receives a life sentence in prison. Richards suspects his ex-partner Ralph Thompson is responsible for framing him, and asks his son, Jim, a law student, to investigate. "TV Guide" called "Sentenced for Life" a "standard crime drama with a touch of espionage thrown