Victims have no rights 2
David
Blunkett was accused in the High Court of
withholding crucial evidence that could have
freed farmer Tony Martin on parole. Two vital
psychiatric reports were kept from the Parole
Board when Martin had his bid for early release
rejected in January. His barrister claimed the
Home Secretary’s failure to reveal the
evidence meant Martin was the victim of a
“positive injustice”. Another key
document kept from the board was the Appeal Court
judgment which reduced Martin’s crime from
murder to manslaughter.
Mr Bitu Bhalla, leading Martin’s battle for
a parole review, said of the board’s
decision, “He was treated as the madman who
would shoot someone if they stamped on his foot
in a bus queue. Had they studied the medical
reports and Court of Appeal judgment they would
not have fallen into that trap.” Mr Bhalla
said the missing reports concluded Martin was no
vigilante but just a “simple farmer”.
The barrister said, “These are matters the
Secretary of State ought to have put before the
Parole Board.” Martin’s lawyers claimed
they were kept in the dark at his parole hearing
about a “secret document” indicating he
WAS suitable for early release.
Jail chiefs banned Tony Martin from having
visitors for refusing to wear prison jeans. A pal
said, "Tony likes his grey trousers and
doesn't want to wear jeans. He hasn't needed to
in the past so this ban is ridiculous." A
prison service spokesman refused to comment. Tony
Martin received tough prison treatment right up
to the moment of his release. Far from going easy
on him during his final days inside, jail bosses
decreed that he must stay in a tiny cell. And he
was allowed no privacy during meetings with
friends and advisers, or even POLICEMEN.
Two warders were sent to guard Mr Martin when
cops visited to discuss his safety following his
release from Highpoint Jail in Suffolk. The
officers had to whisper to him to keep the
details secret. Close friend Malcolm Starr said,
“Tony has been treated like a criminal right
up until the end. Why on earth did the prison
warders need to be present when he was meeting
the police? It was an affront to Tony and an
affront to the officers.”
The
Home Office faced fury after one of the burglars
shot by Tony Martin was released after serving
less than a third of his sentence for heroin
dealing. Brendan Fearon walked out of Ranby
prison in Nottinghamshire, three days before
Martin was due to be freed. Fearon, who is
threatening to sue Martin for £15,000 in
compensation, was freed 104 days early under the
home detention curfew scheme. He will be required
to wear an electronic tag and stay indoors
between 7pm and 7am. Martin's supporters
contrasted Fearon's early release with the farmer
being locked up for the maximum time allowed
under his five-year sentence for manslaughter.
Malcolm Starr, a friend, said, "It's double
standards and reflects that the Government seems
to favour the burglars and not the innocent
householder."
Peter Sainsbury, general secretary of the POW
Trust, a charity which is supporting Martin,
said, "Fearon is a professional criminal who
knows all the angles of the judicial system and
has succeeded in getting released on a tag. Tony
Martin - previously a man of good character,
refused parole since last September, refused home
visits - is in solitary confinement in a police
cell prior to his release." The Home Office
refused to respond to the attacks. But officials
insisted the timing of Fearon's release was
entirely coincidental and said he had qualified
for early release entirely in keeping with the
stipulations of the home curfew scheme. Martin
was moved from Highpoint prison, Suffolk, to a
secret "safe house", understood to be
an East Anglian police station to avoid his
release degenerating into a media scrum.
Brendon Fearon dropped his bid to sue Tony Martin
for damages. The career crook’s brother Joe
said, “He is not claiming a penny.” Joe
Fearon revealed the climbdown, saying, “His
mum and dad are ill and all this is killing them.
Brendon doesn’t want any money off Martin.
It will be official in a couple of days, I swear
on my kids’ lives. He will be seeing his
solicitor on Tuesday to tell him he is dropping
the case.”
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