Kenneth James Noye was born on May 24, 1947, in Bexleyheath, Kent, which is now part of Greater London. His father managed a post office, and his mother worked at a dog racing track. Noye attended Bexleyheath Boys' Secondary Modern School. During his time there, he was known to be a bully and was involved in activities like running a protection racket with other students. He left school at the age of 15.

After leaving school, Noye got into trouble with the law. He was caught selling stolen bicycles after altering their appearances, among other offenses. This led to him spending a year in a borstal, which was a type of youth detention center in the UK.

While he was incarcerated, Noye met Brenda Tremain, who worked as a legal secretary for a barrister. They later got married and had two sons. One of his sons, Brett, faced issues of his own and was banned from being a company director for 12 years due to involvement in an investment deception scheme.

Kenneth Noye was involved in a serious incident on May 19, 1996. While on release from prison, he had a confrontation with a young driver named Stephen Cameron on the M25 motorway. During this encounter, Noye stabbed Cameron with a nine-inch knife, resulting in Cameron's death. After the stabbing, Noye fled the scene and left the country with help from an associate.

A two-year manhunt followed. Initially, authorities sought a suspect under a false identity, but eventually, Noye was identified as the killer. In December 1996, a vehicle linked to him was found in Cyprus, but Noye was not there. He was later tracked down in Spain and arrested in August 1998. After his arrest, he was extradited back to the UK in May 1999.

During his trial, Noye claimed he acted in self-defense and argued that he feared for his safety because of his past with law enforcement. He was found guilty of murder in April 2000. The jury deliberated for over eight hours and delivered a majority verdict. Noye received a life sentence, and the judge recommended a minimum of 16 years in prison.

Noye's attempts to appeal his conviction were unsuccessful over the years. In 2001 and again in 2004, he sought to overturn his conviction, but the courts rejected his appeals. He remained in prison and challenged his minimum term multiple times, but those attempts were also dismissed.

In 2015, Noye was granted a parole hearing, which led to further legal actions regarding his release. Finally, in May 2019, the parole board deemed him suitable for release. He was released on June 6, 2019, after serving 20 years for the murder of Stephen Cameron. The decision to release him took into account the risks associated with his history, but the board concluded that those risks could be managed in the community.