An East End gangster of the old school breed, George Cornelius is a gentleman and a crook, a family man and a ruthless delinquent. A legend on London's crime scene, Cornelius's latest escapade has unwittingly led him into a head-on collision with Luther.

Though the two men come to have a grudging respect for one another, they find themselves on opposite sides of an escalating conflict that neither can put a stop to.