Police searching for Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate member and his wife, thought to be in Spain or Holland

Islington Gazette: A man was shot in the chest as he sat in his BMW in FinsburyA man was shot in the chest as he sat in his BMW in Finsbury (Image: Archant)

A man being hunted by police over a shooting in Finsbury in 2013 is thought to be one of the ring leaders of Islington’s infamous Adams family gang.

Patrick Adams, 59, is thought to be the same “Patsy” Adams who, along with his older brother Terry and younger brother Tommy, allegedly ran a multi-million pound crime syndicate for at least three decades.

Adams and his wife Constance, 53, are wanted by police in relation to the incident, which put a 51-year-old man in hospital for a month.

Police say a man and woman approached the victim while he sat in his BMW at the corner of Wyclif Street and St John Street in Finsbury, before he was shot in the chest at about 10am on December 22, 2012.

Police believe that Adams and his wife fled the country soon after the shooting. It is possible that they are living in Holland or Spain.

Det Insp Glenn Butler, from the Met’s trident and area crime command, said: “I am appealing for anyone with information about where the pair are now living to contact us as a matter of urgency.

“It is apparent, by the nature of this violent crime, that they need to be traced and interviewed by police.

“We treat any information that is passed to us with the greatest of confidence.”

Cllr Paul Convery, Islington Council’s executive member for community safety, said that the shooting was the first warning sign of the now apparent upturn in violence in the borough.

“It was a shocking incident,” he said.

“At the time of the incident police had put away a lot of people associated with violent crime and these sorts of incidents were very unusual.

“Gang related violence has been on the increase since then.

Then councillor for the area George Allan had been delivering Christmas cards nearby at the time of the shooting.

Speaking to the gazette at the time, he said: “It is very scary that something like this can happen in our ward.”

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the couple can call 0208 3580 711, 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.