Oak back with Megan after his Tour in Afghanistan

For all you who thought this little Terrorist would never be tamed, Oak playing Beethoven’s sixth Symphony. “Well! Nearly”!

Greetings Readers!!

Wishing you all good health and happiness at Christmas time and all through the New Year.

With love and thanks

                                                Steve x x x

There isn’t any good time to be in prison, but by far the worse time of year is Christmas time and New Year. These are the most special times of the year we are normally together as a family.

Sitting alone in my cell around Christmas and New Year time all my thoughts are with my family.

I can not help but feel extremely isolated and sad, missing my family immensely.

The vast loss of my father last month, I find myself wishing Christmas and New Year over with quickly.

I don’t want to dwell on either, to be honest readers I don’t feel like saying much at all; grief is a very personal thing I am not up to sharing it.

Words really fail me this month so they will be few and far between on the Christmas theme.

I do have some good news though!

The High Court have now listed my case of appeal (Judicial Review) for a final hearing on Thursday 19^th march 2009.

For those of you with a particular legal interest in my appeal. It is our contention that the Ministry of Justice here in England have in deciding to enforce my Thai sentence have contravened both the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Human Rights Act (HRA)

1) We feel that my sentence of more than 29 years is grossly disproportionate and violates Article 3 of the Human Rights Act, which provides that “no one shall be subject to torture or human degrading treatment or punishment”.

In my case I will of course spend a considerable length of time in prison for offences which, if committed in the UK, would not attract anything like a sentence of this level. I have obviously been under a considerable amount of stress having been removed from my family during this extremely prolonged period.

2) We also argue that my sentence is arbitrary and this enforcement breaches Article 5 of the Human Rights Act. This provides, in part, for the right to Liberty and introduces the concept that no one should be subject to arbitrary detention.

Our contention is that the arbitrary nature of my sentence arises from me being forced to plead guilty because of the provisions of Thai law requiring someone who is found in possession of drugs over a certain, very small, level to plead guilty to possession with intent to supply, without being given the opportunity to argue that it was for personal use.

3) Here we contend that the sentencing procedure was unjust and violates Article 6 of the Human Rights Act, which is commonly known as the right to a fair trial.

We say that such was denied to me as I was forced to plead guilty despite being innocent to the charge on my account, because Legal technicalities.

4) Article 8 of the Human Rights Act confers upon everyone a right to family and private life, with some exceptions, including serving prisoners, who have been validly convicted and whose sentence is not “Manifestly Excessive”.

I hope that sheds a little light on what the appeal is about.

Wish me luck Readers as not only my case rides on this, but many friends, “UK citizens held prisoner still in Thailand”.

Hopefully a favorable outcome will end these cruel and inhumane lengthy sentences that affect not only the prisoners but their families and loved ones, who very often bear the brunt of the consequences of such sentences.

I will end with some of my choice photos (on your left) of Oak our son since his arrival in England in August 2008.

Well readers that about wraps it up see you all in January.

Spare a thought for the friends I left behind in Bangkwang Prison Thailand click on Prisoners seeking contact and why not drop them a line.

 

Signing off for 2008 wishing you all good health and happiness for the New Year.

 

                                                                                                 Steve Willcox