APRIL NEWS!!

5 Year Anniversary

 

 

Hello Readers!!

                           I hope all is well in your lives out there in the real world.

I must start with HUGE APOLOGIES TO YOU ALL WHO ARE STILL WAITING MY REPLIES TO YOUR LETTERS.

 

YOUR LETTERS ARE SUCH A SOURCE of STRENGTH TO ME AND MOST DEFINITELY VERY APPRECIATED!!

 

I’ve no acceptable and worthy excuse for you all. Things have just got me down lately!!

Bare with me!!, I will get round to replying to you all.

I PROMISE!!!

 

I’ve been constantly treading water for 5 years now!!, Barely keeping my head above water.

I am tired, all so very tired of the constant fight on TWO FRONTS

 

1)      To get my wife and son settled in England (Living with my parents).

 

2)      To get Justice, by way of a reduction in my sentence.

 

Surely both of these should be my given right as a UK citizen! But as you and I know, this is not the case and our long drawn out battle continues.

 

April 21^st 2008 marked my 5 years of imprisonment, No!! I didn’t celebrate this Anniversary.

Personally I think my so called crime of “personal possession of drugs”, warrants no term of imprisonment at all.

Also I believe a UK court would most likely, “if they did impose a term of imprisonment on me for this, it would not exceed 2 years.”

Of which I would have been paroled automatically (released) after 1 year of imprisonment.

At present the way I see it!!, this 5 year anniversary this month, marked 4 years extra punishment that is totally unjust!!

So NO happy Anniversary cards thank you readers!!

 

Updates from last month:-

 

Good news at last!!!!

 

The single Judge who had to decide if my Judicial review appeal can go to full hearing or not.

 

Well Permission to go to a full hearing was given on April 17^th. This means that my case now enters the final stage of Judicial Review Process, where my case is put forward in person by my barrister before 3 high court judges.

The Ministry of Justice will of course send along their own barrister who no doubt will be arguing for my continued imprisonment. Whilst many applications for Judicial Review do not get as far as this we shouldn’t get our hopes up too much and try to manage our expectations.

The legal hurdle that we have just overcome at this stage is not as high as the hurdle that we have to overcome in the next hearing.

We still have a considerable battle to fight!!!

It’s a step in the right direction and impossible for me and my family to manage our expectations if we are honest with ourselves.

We now have to wait for a date to be set for the full hearing. Most certainly the date will be within 6 months.

 

***

 

I am still waiting for the written confirmation on December 5^th 2007 amnesty which was announced in Thailand, which should amount to a reduction in my sentence of about 4 years and 2 months.

 

***

 

As stated in last months Newsletter my wife’s 3^rd appeal on her settlement visa for the UK had been accepted.

 

Good News Again Readers!!

We were told to expect a 6-8 month wait for a hearing date for this latest of appeals.

Yet April 10^th we received a date for what they call the “First stage of the reconsideration hearing”

The date is set for May 21^st 2008.

It is at this hearing that both sides would debate before a panel of Judges, about whether there is or not an error of law in the determination.

We of course will be arguing for the determination to be set aside and the Home Office will be arguing for the determination to stand.

Usually a decision is made on the day itself about whether there is or not an error of law.

Once that has been decided, the Tribunal will want to know whether they can make the final decision in the matter or the matter has to be adjourned to a “second stage – reconsideration”,

Usually there is a small delay between first and second stage reconsideration.

Confused Readers? Yeh you and me both!!

In the meantime with this settlement visa Application and Appeals going on for the best part of a year now, and who knows how long before it is finally resolved.

We thought it a good idea for my wife to apply for a straight forward visiting visa for the UK, (valid for a 6 month stay).

This is the same visa Lek was granted on her previous visit to the UK.

This visiting visa would at last get Lek and Oak here before Oak starts school in August and hopefully the settlement visa will come through while Lek is here. If not, Lek will have to return to Thailand after 6 months and start the process again.

At least this will give us 6 months of visits together and lek and Oak will have 6 months living with my parents. Preparing this new visiting visa application at such short notice, an almost impossible task so my good friends Nick and Nong who were returning to Thailand.

They could not only deliver the application and mountain of supporting documents to Lek, but also go with her to the British Embassy in Bangkok to submit the application.

 

Well who else but our savior yet again Carla!!, and I don’t say that lightly.

Again Carla I and my family can not thank you enough.

 

Lek, Nick and Nong and little Oak of course! All went to Bangkok on April 28^th to submit Lek’s visa application. After submitting it, Lek was told she would be notified by May 4^th of the outcome of her application. Nick and Nong also a massive thank you to you both for all your help to us while you were in Thailand.

 

Incredible what Carla, Nick and Nong all did for us.

Thank you my friends!!!

 

While I am on the thankyous my Mum and Dad as always the main pillar of support Thank you!!!

 

Farin Anthony of French and Company (our solicitor on Lek’s case)

 

Also our Barrister Mrs. Sood (also on Lek’s case)

You’ve both worked hard and beyond the call of duty to a client.

We thank you both kindly.

 

I count myself very lucky to have so many good and genuine friends. Thank You All!!

 

With both decisions to come in next month on the visiting Visa and the Settlement Visa appeal.

Surely at least one has to come off.

 

Okay Readers, I will love you and leave you all here.

My heads still above water at the end of this promising month of April.

 

Let’s hope for calm waves next month

                                                          Best wishes

                                                                           Steve Willcox