Born to school age parents in the East end of London and adopted as a baby, Matt grew up feeling rejected, angry and lonely. Longing to return to his East end roots, he embarked on a life of crime, theft, violence, women and drugs.
Matt carried a knife and was drinking alcohol by the age of eleven, already a street gang member, fighting with bricks, baseball bats and metal bars. By the time he was 17, he was a heavy user of Speed and Cannabis, which quickly led to him injecting steroids. By the age of 21, he was addicted to Cocaine, with the side affects of insomnia, paranoia and demonic voices having taken hold.
When he was 24, Matt tracked down his birth father, only to find he was a famous East end gangster, with the films Essex Boys and Rise of the Foot Soldier, charting his criminal life. Within months Matt embarked on a dangerous journey into the heart of the underworld working for his Dad. Before long on the wave of publicity which resulted from being in two gangland books, and the son of a gangster, Matt blew £80,000 on drugs, and watched his friends and enemies die of murder, suicide, and drug overdoses. His journey saw him work as a doorman, bailiff and a gang member and fight in over 300 street, club and gang fights. In 2004, Matt survived a £15,000 gangland hit on his life and spent 6 months under police observation.
Matt had two choices - a prison or a grave. But, a “chance” encounter with a doorman, led Matt to walk into a church carrying a knife, high on Cocaine, and cry out to Christ and receive forgiveness and salvation with instant healing from drugs, violence and rejection. Matt put down his knife and picked up the Holy Bible and started to live a transformed life in Aug 2005. He now lives in Essex where he is continuing his journey as a disciple of Jesus, serving at New Life Church in Wickford.
Matt now heads through New Life Church, Third Choice Ministry, reaching out to street gangs and making an impact by sharing the Gospel message and creating a contact point for gang members and drug users, whilst continuing to bring glory and praise to God
