Born into a lie of crime : the story of one man's fight against himself and the world he fought to understood / by Ron Isherwood as told to John Killick

Ron Isherwood was a career criminal before his teens. He knew this made his father proud. By the time Ron was 17, he was in the notorious Victorian prison, Pentridge, charged with four attempted murders. His father was critical that he hadn't killed his victims. Ron's father, an elected member of the feared Painters and Dockers union was a tough and violent man. A former Australian Heavyweight champion who delighted in not only beating other fighters, but his wife and children as well. Their home was a drop in centre for some of Victoria's most notorious criminals, including the hitman/bank robber, James Bazley and the wife killer, Billy the Texan Longley. Young Ronnie always tried to gain his father's approval, as well as his love. He never received either. Eventually nurturing a hatred of his father and a determination to rebel. Ron became a drug dealer, a jewel thief and international criminal. And worst of all, a junkie. As a result he has spent nearly two decades in some of Australia's hardest prisons. He now lives in Queensland with his wife and children where he helps others to avoid living what he terms: A Lie of Crime.