A Notorious Villian: The Crimes of Ned Kelly

Australian bushranger’s actions can be condoning but this specific one shines amongst the rest. After birth in December 1854, Ned Kelly was executed on the 11th of November, 1880. Kelly's life inspired several people to fight against police corruption and to stand up for others liberty. Ned’s crimes were blackmailing, murdering of Constable Lonigan and creating the notorious gang – the Kelly gang, thus making the notorious outlaw a villain in many people's beliefs.   

Ned's first shocking crime commenced in October 1878, where Kelly himself heartlessly shot and murdered Constable Lonigan with his sharpshooting and detestation toward police. Considering flanks from reinforcements, the bushranger's first instinct was to end the fight with an easy shot to the heart. Historian, Carole Wilkinson quotes, “Everyone looks on me like a black snake” stated Ned in the book “Black Snake” to describe the situation Kelly stood then. Evidently, murder can be punishable a minimum 25 years in prison. Hence, Ned Kelly is the murdering bushranger everyone knows today.

Earlier in life, Kelly’s outrageous crime involved his younger twelve-year-old self and theft. Ned’s crimes started when Kelly stole horses and after weeks passed by kelly went back to the owners claiming that they were found, asking for a reward. Eventually, one victim stood up against this act and as stated by Carole Wilkonson “I straddled him both spurs into his thigh”. Kelly had done this multiple times later in life knowing that it would be 20 years in prison. Unquestionably, it is undeniable that Ned Kelly is the person everyone knows today, the stealing bushranger.   

Dodging every raid, gunshot and trooper, Kelly couldn’t work alone teaming with Dan to later eventually recruit Joe Byrne and Steve Hart. The Kelly gang were unstoppable, avoiding every cuff and escaping police custody in one night. Unfortunately, many lives were lost, but some were spared. “There will be a bullet in your head next time” quoted the disreputable villain threatening the spared. Considering 4 members in the tarnished gang, and over a thousand troopers going in a battle is insane for the gang. No one wants to be known for their ludicrousness.  

Now that everyone knows the true Ned Kelly, it is an understatement that Kelly was a notorious villian. Ned not only blackmailed poor farmers but also murdered Constable Lonigan in cold blood and created a gang that ruled Victoria – the Kelly gang. Clearly, these debauched incidents above prove my point that Ned Kelly is the murdering ruthless psychopath he is.