Peaky Blinders: The Worst Thing Each Main Character Has Ever Done

What an unfortunate life John Shelby had in some ways. He was a soldier in the first world war which left many men broken and scarred; he was abandoned with his brothers by their father at a young age after the death of their mother; he was widowed with his four children after Martha died; and finally, he fell to the Changretta vendetta.

Whilst John was a man of good humour and unquestioning loyalty, he was also somebody who believed in his family. This is precisely why he undertook the reprehensible act of blowing up a train full of innocent people to save Charlie from Father John Hughes.

Though he did the act with his brother, Arthur, and Arthur's own actions would lead to John's death, blowing up the train was ultimately the worst thing that John ever did on the show. His crimes were met with his arrest and he was almost hanged, along with Arthur, Michael, and Polly for their own actions.

In the end, it was to be one of the final acts of John's criminal life, as after he was released from prison he settled down with Esme in the country.