Love Island star Jamie Jewitt’s older brother has recalled the harrowing moment a gang of knife-wielding drug addicts stormed his family home and threatened his screaming wife and toddler – before slashing a blade down his face.
Luke Jewitt, 33, from Braintree, Essex, was deeply embedded in a cocaine gang and is currently serving 10 years in prison for his involvement in a drugs bust worth £5.2million.
He told how while embroiled with the criminal ring, close friends of his were ‘executed’ by a gunshot to the head.
He put his involvement, which he now deeply regrets, down to ‘money and greed’.
Now Jewitt’s dramatic criminal past has been made into a new gritty British film called The Corrupted, starring Timothy Spall, Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville and The Hunger Games’ Sam Claflin.
Luke Jewitt, 33, from Braintree, Essex, was deeply embedded in the cocaine trade and is currently serving 10 years in prison for his involvement in a drugs bust worth £5.2million
Luke Jewitt is the brother of Love Island hunk and former Calvin Klein model Jamie Jewitt, who was a runner-up on the show with girlfriend Camilla Thurlow
The script was penned by one of Jewitt’s close childhood friends Nick Moorcroft, a former young offender who managed to turn his life around to become a respected screen writer.
Speaking on a day release from prison, Jewitt recounted the frightening day dealers turned up at his door and ran a knife down his face.
The ex-boxer told The Sun: ‘Luckily I managed to get out of the way and kick forward to be able to close the door on them. But my wife and son (now 10) were upstairs.
‘They were people I was connected to. It comes down to money and greed.’
The elder brother of the Love Island hunk was sentenced in July 2016 as one of 11 members of a gang, after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Detectives seized £600,000 worth of cocaine imported from Malaga, Spain, in a taxi, leading to the arrest of multiple members of the group.
Jailed: Luke (right) – the elder brother of Jamie (left) – was sentenced in July 2016 as one of 11 members of a gang after drugs were imported from Malaga, Spain
Jewitt was already suspicious he was being tailed by undercover police officers and had found bugs in his car. Months later his home was ram-raided by cops at 5am.
At the time, Detective sergeant Daren Guess from ERSOU said: ‘This was a sophisticated drugs importation and distribution network which had the potential to flood the eastern region with cocaine and cannabis.’
Speaking about his experience as part of the gang, Jewitt said: ‘I’ve had some of my close friends shot dead, just executed. It’s a dangerous playing field.’
Former builder Jewitt admitted he was lured into a life of crime after some vital construction deals fell through.
Former Calvin Klein model Jamie and bomb disposal expert Camilla Thurlow are one of the few remaining Love Island couples who are still going strong
He said many of the guys involved in the drugs ring were childhood friends of his, meaning the murky lifestyle ‘fell into his lap’.
Repentent Jewitt claims prison has made him realise that taking a ‘short cut’ to try to make something of himself was wrong – and he’s since become a Samaritan and studied philosophy.
He revealed he has persuaded fellow inmates not to take their own lives – though he wasn’t able to save everybody, revealing he’s encountered some people ‘hanging dead’ in their cell.
Much like the BBC hit Line of Duty, the new film based on Jewitt’s life features a plot laced with corrupt police officers and government officials.
Much like the BBC hit Line of Duty, The Corrupted features a plot laced with corrupt police officers and government officials
But many of the dodgy deals and backhanders cited in the film aren’t fiction; instead they’re based on the eye-witness accounts provided by Jewitt, who claims he saw corruption ‘on all levels’.
Jewitt was visited by Sam Claflin in prison, who described the experience as ‘eye-opening’ – though Jewitt played down the glamour of meeting a Hollywood movie star.
‘Afterwards he went off to film and I went back to my cell,’ he said bluntly.
Repentent Jewitt, left, pictured with his two brothers (Jamie, centre) claims prison has made him realise that taking a ‘short cut’ to try and make something of himself was wrong – and he’s since become a Samaritan and studied philosophy
Jewitt was visited by Sam Claflin, pictured left, in prison, who described the experience as ‘eye-opening’ – though Jewitt played down the glamour of meeting a Hollywood movie star
Former Calvin Klein model Jamie and bomb disposal expert Camilla Thurlow are one of the few remaining Love Island couples who are still going strong.
Jewitt revealed he was able to watch Love Island from prison and is ‘very proud’ of his brother, especially for his recent campaigns championing mental health awareness.
‘I’ve got nothing but love and respect for him,’ he told The Sun. ‘We’ve always been very close.’
The Corrupted is out in cinemas today (May 10).