JANUARY NEWS!!
New Year, New Hope!!
Hello Readers,
Let me start by wishing you all good health and happiness for the New Year.
For me personally this is proving to be the best start to a new year in a very long time.
For the first time since my arrest and imprisonment in
Since my arrival here on December 10th 2007, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed one and often two weekly visits with my parents, so many years apart makes me appreciate and value every minute of the 1 ½ - 2 hour visits together with them.
Sitting opposite each other at a proper table and chairs, where you can reach over and touch, hug and kiss. A far cry from the two sets of bars, glass and metre wide gap and a conversation over a phone visits of Thailand Prison.
Here in the visiting area a canteen provides drinks and light refreshments, the staff are polite, pleasant and helpful, such a contrast to
My parent’s visits have done wonders to help me adjust and adapt to life back in
I had no idea just how much 4 ½ years in a Thai prison had effected me, until I came back to the relative normality of an English prison. Physically I look remarkably well, psychologically I have my moments where I am in bits, and to look at me you would never know it. Years in the Bangkok Hilton I’ve learnt to hide what’s going on inside and not show much at all. “Self protection I guess”.
Thanks especially to my parents and other family members, friends that have visited me, I am now well on the mend.
My sister Paula who I am enjoying getting to know all over again “Thanks”, “love you sister”
Aunt Pat and Cousin Della! Chalk and cheese you pair, but what a lovely and enjoyable visit. So full of admiration for the work you do Della, I really look forward to getting to know you better.
Other Aunts include Shirl, Jen, Sandra and Wendy I really enjoyed all your visits. Uncle Mick and Pat again a very special visit for me! “Thank You”!
Oh!! Cousin Mandy!!, Well made up to see you “Thanks”!
Carla, Ollie, Anthony always special, always a pleasure!
I would (we would) be surely lost without you Carla, cheers!
Two of my best and very old friends “H and Cindy”, your two visits and your letters gave me even more determination and strength. Honoured and very lucky to have you both as sincere, genuine friends “Thanks Mates”!!
My good friends Nick and Nong, seems a lifetime ago we first met in
Dan!! My mate so so good to see you another true and so so genuine friend, I will never forget your support over the years, but we have to stop meeting in places like this, cheers Dan!
Thank you Readers/Friends
All you readers/friends who’ve sent letters, cards, emails since my return and before, too many of you all to mention individually, you know who you all are and “THANK YOU ALL”
You’ve all helped me more than you realize, 4 ½ very difficult years and you all should take much credit in me making it through and being here today.
It wasn’t my individual strength that seen me through, it was the strength, kindness and support of so many of you, that you all gave to me to see it through.
There were many times in
Easy to say now! But what a experience! What a Journey!! Another chapter for the book as my mate George would say. On a serious note though! I left behind so many friends:-
Somebody to write to?
Many men in much worse situations than I was, men without financial support of their families or friends, men forgotten, who are left to survive by their own means, no easy task in a Thai prison.
A monthly wage might amount to £15.00 fifteen yes! Yet to live on a basic very stringent budget a £100.00 would barely see you through.
Many of you have written and asked me for a name of a friend still in the Bangkok Hilton prison you could write to or support in some small way.
One very worthy friend still there is “Soe Paing Tinsoe” Bangkwang Prison, Building 6,
The only fault with this friend is he’s a little too proud to ask or accept help when offered, so I will do it for him!!
Readers you can write letters of support to Soe Paing Tinsoe, but bare in mind the price of a stamp in prison is equivalent to one meal for this man to reply to you.
By far the best way to help is to send a “Registered Post Letter” to him with a few pounds worth of Thai Currency Notes inside, these you can easily obtain at a Bank or Travel agent within
Food and care parcels are good, but very expensive, the above Thai currency by “Registered Post Only” is far the best help and value for money i.e. maximum help for money spent.
Soe Paing is a Burmese National, fluent in English and believe me readers, a man very worthy of your help.
The above method is tried and tested, “Safe”, money sent will be credited to his prison account for him to spend daily, any written letter also enclosed will be handed to him. No fear of the Guards stealing it.
Registered Post is opened in front of you. Soe Paing Tinsoe will most definitely reply to all letters sent him.
Thai Currency Notes come in dominations of 100, 500 and 1.000 (Baht notes), roughly the equivalent to £1.50, £7.50 and £15.00.
Give Soe Paing my best regards and tell him he’s certainly not forgotten and once I am free from Prison I will return one day to
My best mate Scott Hurford also still in the Bangkok Hilton, you can also write to the above Bangkwang, Building 6 address.
Also check out Scotts website www.scottsbangkwangtime.net
Scott still has over a year to transfer back to an English prison.
So again give my mate all the support you can, he also has an online Petition to support his Kings Pardon
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/236157845
Now to answer questions more often than ever asked now I am back in
1) How much has the UK Government reduced my sentence to match or to come in line with the probable sentence I would have been given for the same crime, if committed in
(Which by the way, would be about a 1 year term of imprisonment.)
2) How long do I now have to serve in an English prison until my release?
Remember my Crime!!? A mere 25grams of class A Drugs, a mere 5 days worth of drugs to a single person using them. Hardly crime of the Century, even the most hard liner on drugs would surely agree my sentence of 33 ½ years is MADNESS and certainly in BREACH OF MY HUMAN RIGHTS.
When you think long and hard about it, I would say its also against my wife and son, my parents and my families Human Rights who are all severely effected by my imprisonment.
Our son Oak will be 5 years old this year, born whilst I was in prison; surely Oak has Human Rights on this issue?
I know this is going to sound incredible, unbelievable!! That all the 4 ½ years of suffering in horrific conditions of Thai prison 7 months shackled like an animal to mention only one of the so so many of my Human Rights broken.
You only have to look at the Real Life Sketches that were smuggled out of Bangkwang prison
The
My 33 years 5 months 15 days sentence stands!
The UK Government insists I serve my full sentence given in
Yes!! Incredible!! Unbelievable!!
Who’s in breach of my Human Rights now?:-
The UK Government that’s who!!
Again as stated in December’s newsletter, my sentence according to the Home Office London and here H.M.P. Rye Hill is:-
· 33 years 5 months 15 days
· Number of days in sentence: 12.222
· Sentence expiry date: 03/10/2036
· Non-Parole release date: 13/02/2027
· Parole Eligibility date: 11/01/2020
· Licence expiry date: 12/07/2029
The amnesty I mentioned also in December’s newsletter that should result in a reduction of 4 years 2 months of my sentence is still yet to be confirmed by the British Embassy Bangkok
As far as I know
The Thai Government willingly and obligingly accepts with other European Countries that an 8 year total term of imprisonment is perfectly adequate for foreign prisoners to serve.
Yet the UK Government is adamant I and other English prisoners imprisoned in
These extremely lengthy sentences for very often trifle crimes, I believe are against our Human Rights.
Many murderers and terrorists convicted of bombings and other atrocious crimes, don’t even get a sentence as high as mine of 33 ½ years.
Previous Prime Ministers and Governments all came up with the same lies, “we are looking into amending the Thai-UK prisoner transfer treaty”
These lies have been spun for the past 16 years now!
Let me try a new angle to our M.P’s and our Prime Minister:
What is the cost to the British Tax Payer?
It costs something in the region of £50.000 per year to keep I alone in prison in
Yes!! Fifty thousand pounds, multiply that by my 33 ½ year sentence and then multiply that by the other fifty English prisoners still held in Thailand’s prisons, all waiting their time to transfer back here to an English prison.
These other fifty “and growing number” of English prisoners have Thai sentences ranging up to 50 years, so their costs are even higher than mine.
Quite clearly the costs to the British Tax Payer is running into “Hundreds of Millions of Pounds” “£100.000.000” to house prisoners convicted in
Even the most hard liners on crime couldn’t argue “we” (British Citizens) convicted in Thailand are getting off light, as all of us would have served the 4-8 years minimum term of imprisonment in the horrific squalid conditions of a Thai prison, (before we are eligible to transfer to an English prison)
We would have all been more severely punished for our crimes than we would have been if committed and convicted in
Maybe Gordon Brown will have more compassion for our Human Rights and see common sense and stop wasting this hundreds of millions of pounds on this completely outrageous waste of Tax Payers money.
Write to him/her on this money issue; write to him/her on the unfairness of the Thai-UK Prisoner Transfer Treaty and lack of support for British Citizens Kings Pardon Petitions in
Print of articles from this site which explain these issues and send them to your Local M.P. demanding action.
Articles of interest found on the Home page
· Fact sheet explaining the unfairness of the Thai-UK prisoner Transfer Treaty.
· UK Law raises serious Human Rights Issues
· Why would anyone want a life sentence?
·
Or:- Any articles, newsletters, sketches on this site you feel maybe appropriate to help persuade your M.P. to help us.
This month a faint glimmer of light shone through the end of a very long tunnel, when both Solicitor and barrister agreed to take my case.
Paperwork excellently prepared by my Solicitor was put forward to our barrister, for his advice on a review of my case. The very last days or so of this month, the Barrister has advised in favour of pursuing an application to the High Court to judicially review the enforcement of my sentence.
The High Court will now initially need to grant us leave for a hearing, without the courts permission, I will not automatically receive a hearing.
It’s very very early days yet and like I said just a faint little glimmer of light at the moment.
But!!, by far the best start to a new year in a very long time.
KIND OF IRONIC!! MADNESS? :- where yet more of Tax Payers money has to be used to fight the Home Office (Ministry of Justice) and hopefully bring an end to this outrageous waste of £100.000.00 ssss wasted imprisoning us for longer than is humane and reasonable for the crimes we’ve committed. Why can’t the UK Government especially the Ministry of Justice see sense?
Surely it would be a feather in anybodies cap to amend this UK-Thailand Treaty and also make amendments to the policy to support British Prisoners convicted in
(Most notably being also fellow Commonwealth Countries:
Surely a proposal by a Government Department that proposes saving a Government HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF POUNDS is a good thing for that Department and all concerned?
Lastly readers more good news January 29th, as you all know was our 2nd appeal on Lek (my wife) settlement visa.
In preparation to this appeal we engaged a Solicitor in immigration Law, and for the day of the hearing a Barrister who also specialises in this field of immigration cases.
My Mother, father, Sister, Cousin Carla who’s worked harder than anybody on this appeal were all in attendance. We were well prepared this time, preliminary meetings between my parents, Carla and both Solicitor and Barrister, were all positive.
We were definitely in very good experienced and very compassionate hands of Solicitor and Barrister.
The hearing (appeal) went very well with both my parents giving testimonies and evidence.
The decision of the appeal will be posted within the next 2 weeks to us.
Fingers everything crossed readers!
Our barristers words to my parents after the hearing was:- “She would be very surprised if we lost this appeal, as it all went very well”
Good news all round this month of January!! Who knows!, Next month I could be writing about my first visit with my wife and our son here in
ALL IN ALL a great start to the year.
See you next month, Take good care readers.
Best wishes Steve Willcox
**********
I am doing 12 years for burgling a Supermarket and stealing money from Securicor 5 ½ and 6 ½ consecutive. I felt hard done by; 12 years for non-violent crimes but money is God and always will be; stole too much of it. However, when I discovered Steve’s story I didn’t feel life had been so unkind to me after all.
When I was tried last year I started off confident, I had to plead guilty to the Supermarket (ASDA E10) burglary as I was caught outside with the money (870 grand) and 4 others (brother, Mates, Son!) the theft from Securicor was different. Put simply – I didn’t do it, but know who did. They had a tame Judge who, when told my Barrister was filing for dismissal due to a complete lack of evidence against me, he allowed something called “Evidence of bad Character”. The Judge told the Jury of the Asda burglary and that was enough for them, the thought process of “If he did that, he must have done the other” came into it and they found me guilty. I didn’t do it.
Instead of getting 5 ½ years for the burglary, I got 12.
I was in Penonville prison while the trial went on it lasted a month. I was badly depressed during it and was at my wits end, on how to cope. A teacher in the prison education dept. was made aware of my depression and came to my help in a curious way. She taught me how to write poetry. She would put different problems regarding poetry under my cell door during the day, so when I got back at night I’d not have time to dwell on the days happenings. Instead I’d spend my evenings and weekends writing. She taught me Sonnets. How they were constructed written and shaped. She left me books and downloads and set me tasks! “Write on this”! “Love, life, yourself, work, boats” all sorts. Doing these, I kept my head straight, kept my sanity I’d say. Now I have an abiding love of poetry, especially sonnets. I’ve wrote 40 odd, some I’m proud of, some looking back, no good. But the effort of doing them: the rhyming, structure, keeping to the rules, is fascinating and I love them.
I’ve tried to get Steve interested but he smiles, shakes his head- “no mate, I can’t do them”. Neither could I until last year. Steve hasn’t got a good teacher in me.
I had a first class teacher in Jenny Thomas of Pentonville education dept.
A real teacher; she didn’t just stay with the easy tasks like teaching the class allocated to her. She left the education dept. and helped others on the wings at night. I was one of them who wasn’t allowed on education- (E. man) she’d be talking to Cons. Through their cell doors long after she’d ended her classes. She persevered with other bods as well as me and for that reason she’s liked and remembered. When I talked with her on the odd day off trial- one week to the next, I’d say “Jen, I can’t do this-or that” she’d convince me to keep on. She’s the reason you’re reading this, I guess. Anyway, to prove I can do a sonnet, here’s one of mine. A boating one (and true)
SAILING
I’m borne along the Elemental wind,
It fills the mainsail close hauled, full and by.
It whips the spray until my face feels skinned,
Force 5 at least, for small craft it’s to high.
I head to land; I seek the river's mouth,
No mark in sight, the sun is setting fast,
I doubt my Compass, is it west or south?
Fear slithers through my gut, the
I beat towards a far off yellow light,
And pray to god it’s not an outbound Barque.
But soon it’s gone, there’s not a thing in sight,
I sit in misery: lost in the dark.
Dawn breaks, I wake, my prayer to god did reach,
The tides gone out, I’m stuck on
Well? No matter what you think of it, doing them helped me a lot. It’s a terrific way to spend time in cell.
So thanks for reading this and if you can help Steve in his quest for humanity and justice please do – do what you can for him.
If you want to write to a Con like me, I’m GR. Watts (Rick) RE7663 HMP Rye Hill, Willoughby Nr. Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 85Z. I’ll answer any letters.
See you Rick
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