Article

Ron Easterbrook on Hunger Strike

Ron Easterbrook is 69 years old and serving a life sentence for defending himself against a police ambush (see Shoot to Kill article in this issue). He has been on hunger strike since Thursday 11 November 1999, in protest at the refusal of the Criminal Cases Review commission (CCRC) to refer his case back to the Court of Appeal. Ron is in very poor health and there is a strong possibility that he will die before the CCRC make their final decision.

Ron has written from prison about his reasons, "I have decided to go on to hunger strike as I can find no other way to protest about my treatment by the judiciary, the Home office and the Prison Service. I was convicted of offences of armed robbery and wounding a police officer in 1988. The offence was set up by a police informant and my co-defendant was shot dead by the police. The whole incident was filmed live by Thames television. I was denied legal representation at my trial. My defence was that I had fired on the police in self defence as when they opened fire, I was aware that my life was in danger as a result of the police's policy of 'shoot to kill'. My defence team withdrew as they said that this was a political defence which they could not put forward. I was found guilty and given a life sentence even though there was no attempt by the trial judge to follow the normal procedures for imposing such a sentence. I tried to appeal the conviction and sentence and had to do this without legal representation. The Court of Appeal simply affirmed the trial judge's decision. After conviction, my prison file wrongly stated that I had murdered someone. I was told that I had a whole life tariff and was made a category A prisoner. During my time in prison I tried to protest my case. Although I did not resort to violence, I was faced by violence from prison staff. As a result of the continual abuses I faced, I undertook a lengthy hunger strike. Eventually, the Home Office agreed to reconsider my case. My 'tariff' or prison sentence was fixed at twelve and a half years. Although I was pleased at this recognition of the earlier injustice, I was still angry that it was too long and that I should never have received the life sentence in the first place. I applied to the CCRC to have my case referred back to the Court of Appeal but they refused. They have taken the view that even though I never had legal representation, that my case is listed in criminal textbooks as not following the normal law and the strong arguments I have that my sentence is illegal, that I have no grounds for even my sentence to be reconsidered. I have no further avenues to take in the legal process. I am not prepared to apply for parole as I do not recognise the legality of my sentence and I believe I should be released automatically from prison. I have therefore commenced a hunger strike as I can see no other option available to me."

Please write to the: Criminal Cases Review commission (CCRC) Alpha Tower Suffolk Street Queensway Birmingham B1 1TT FAX number 0121 633 1823 marking letters for the attention of Ms. Lee. Please make the point that Ron is elderly and in poor health, and urge the CCRC to make a prompt decision and refer his case back to the Court of Appeal without any further delay.

Messages of support for Ron should be sent to: Ronald Easterbrook HMP Highdown, Sutton Lane Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PD Messages of support e-mailed will be forwarded to Ron: FreeRonEasterBrook@ncadc.demon.co.uk