> Miscarriages of Justice UK
>
> No Christmas Dinner for Ronald Easterbrook
>
> On Christmas day, Saturday the 25 of December 1999
> Ronald Easterbrook will have gone with out food for 44 days
>
> Ron Easterbrook is serving four life sentences and is being held
> at HMP Highdown. He has been on hunger strike since Thursday 11
> November 1999 in protest at the refusal of the Criminal Case Review
> Commission CCRC to refer his case back to the Court of Appeal. Ron is
> 68 years old and in very poor health and there is a strong
> possibility that he will die.
>
> In a message from prison Ron said:
> "I am desperate for justice I am determined to die if I cannot get
> my case back to court." "now all legal avenues are closed to me my
> body is the only tool I have to highlight this miscarriage of
> justice."
>
> Ron is only taking liquids, ribena and lucazade, though very weak
> he is in good spirits.
>
> He is calm and resolute about the hunger strike and is confident that
> he will get a posthumous pardon when his case finally gets to Europe
>
> Ron Easterbrook is what may be described as a career criminal. He
> has a string of convictions for robberies and assaults. He is from
> South London and belongs to an older era in many ways. He is now 69
> years old and is held as a category A prisoner at Highdown prison in
> Sutton, Surrey.
> In 1987, he agreed, against his own better judgement, to
> participate in an armed robbery of a supermarket in South London. It
> transpired that the whole thing was set up by a police informer and
> the robbery was filed live by Thames TV. The police fired on Ron and
> his co-defendant, his co-defendant was killed immediately. Ron was
> injured and also injured a police officer.
> He was not represented at trial as his trial barrister said
> that his defence was political as it implied that the police had a
> shoot to kill policy. As a result, Ron represented himself, was found
> guilty and received a life sentence. The conviction and sentence were
> upheld by the Court of Appeal who refused leave to appeal.
> Whilst in prison, Ron protested by refusing to speak to prison
> staff for 7 years (giving him legendary status amongst other
> prisoners). Eventually, after a prolonged food refusal, he was told
> that this tariff was whole life.
> After legal argument, the Home Secretary re-set the tariff at 12
> years on advice from the Lord Chief Justice. However, Ron will not
> accept parole (nor is it likely to be granted) and he wishes to
> challenge the legality of his sentence.
> The life sentence in his case is unique. No other armed robber
> has received a life sentence for similar offences and the sentencing
> court and Court of Appeal appear to have ignored all legal guidelines
> & precedent when it was set. Ron applied to the CCRC to have the
> sentence referred back to the Court of Appeal.
> His argument is based on the lack of legal representation, the
> failure of the sentencing court to issue appropriate warnings before
> imposing the sentence and the departure from all known sentencing
> authority. It is essentially a due process argument.
> The CCRC provisionally rejected the application in August and
> invited further representations. In November, they issued a second
> provisional rejection letter - a very unusual step - and again
> invited further representations.
>
> At this stage, Ron went on hunger strike. He is exceptionally
> strong willed and there is no doubt that he will see this through.
> His health is already suffering badly.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Criminal Case Review Commission CCRJ turned down Ron's appeal on
> Friday 3 December his solicitors went to the High Court on Friday
> Afternoon and lodged an appeal but it was thrown out.
> ______________________________________________________
>
>
> A Prison Service Spokesman said:
> "An inmate at Highdown prison has been refusing food since 11
> November 1999. He is still taking liquids and his condition is not
> currently a cause for concern."
> "The prisoner is located in the healthcare where he is receiving
> regular checks from medical staff."
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
>
> What you can do to help Ron:
>
> Send a letter of protest to
> Minister of State for the Home Office, Paul Boateng
> asking the Minister to refer the case back to Criminal Case Review
> Commission CCRJ, model letter below.
>
> The fax number for Paul Boateng: 0171-273-4090 from outside the UK,
> 00-44-171-273-4090
> or you can write to him at the:
> Home Office
> 50 Queen Annes Gate
> London SW1H 9AT
> ------------------------------------------------
> Model letter
> --------------------------------------------------------
> Att: Paul Boateng
> Minister of State for the Home Office
>
> Dear Mr. Boateng
>
> Re: Ron Easterbrook "On Hunger Strike"
>
> Ron Easterbrook is serving a life sentence and is being held at
> HMP Highdown. He has been on hunger strike since Thursday 11
> November 1999 in protest at the refusal of the CCRC to refer his
> case back to the Court of Appeal. Ron is 69 years old and in very
> poor health and there is a strong possibility that he will die.
>
> "We are concerned at the treatment of Ron Easterbrook by the CCRC,
> who have rejected his appeal to them. Ron is an elderly man in very
> poor health who has now been on hunger strike for over 40 days. We
> cannot believe that you would allow Ron to die rather than to afford
> him justice. He has only ever sought to be represented before the
> Courts by a lawyer and yet even this most basic right has been denied
> to him.
> Please ask the Criminal Case Review Commission CCRC to look at his case
again.
>
> Yours Sincerely
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Letters of support for Ron can be sent to:
> Ron Easterbrook
> HMP Highdown
> Sutton Lane
> Sutton
> Surrey SM2 5PD
>
> Or E-mailed to:
> RonEasterbrook@ncadc.demon.co.uk
>
> If you have time send copies of any faxs to:
> 0870-055-4570
>
>
> In Solidarity
>
> John O for "Miscarriages of Justice UK"
>
> E-mail: JusticeUK@appleonlline.net
>
> Web Sire: http://www.appleonline.net/justiceuk/jus.html
>
>
>