Gary Critchley – Raised In A Prison

This is to flag up the case of Gary Critchley who is still in prison for an alleged murder at Campbell Buildings in 1980 – see recent posts on Bob Short’s Trash Can book thread for more details and also the official website and also this website.

The challenge is to get this miscarriage of justice overturned.

But how? I suggest it needs a twin track approach

Firstly to raise the public profile (as Jock has suggested) via myspace / facebook / blog sites like KYPP – for example by putting a slide show of Gary’s paintings plus a relevant soundtrack eg Raised in a Prison by the Mob on youtube or organising a UK exhibition of Gary’s paintings…

Secondly using official channels eg letters to your MP and the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Home Secretary 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF.

Gary is also being supported by Wendy Thurley and Julie Coimbra.

Julie and Wendy are librarians in Cambridge and contacted KYPP about the case.

Julie said [edited]:

“Myself and another librarian have become involved in trying to publicize this extraordinary miscarriage of justice. We happened to purchase some of Gary’s paintings and began corresponding with him without ever asking why he was inside. When the Private Eye article came out in July we were flabbergasted to say the least and began our campaign. Fifty of his paintings were sent to Adelaide and were in a recent exhibition there. Prior to posting them we photographed them all and have made them into cards to sell, 12 are at present on the website.

If you have ANY INFORMATION WHATSOEVER that could be helpful could you let us know and we can pass it on to Glyn Maddocks, the solicitor who has taken up his case. Anyone who can provide ANY INFORMATION should be encouraged to contact us as soon as possible”.

Julie and Wendy have created the website from which the following bio of Gary is taken.

Finally – don’t wait for someone else to act. If you think this is important get on and do it yourself.

Biography- Gary Critchley “Raised In A Prison”.

“England is a supposed model of democracy and justice, yet ironically I have so far been made to serve longer for being rebellious and non-conformist than the Yorkshire Ripper has for 13 serial Killings. Nowadays, painting is the only thing that keeps me alive.“

Gary Critchley

Born in Birmingham and raised on an estate that bordered on two mental hospitals, visiting and often staying with his elder brother in care homes and approved schools,

Gary was introduced to institutions at a very early age. At 8 years old he got drunk on alcohol and by the age of 12 he was drinking on a regular basis. Aged 14, Gary became a punk rocker, was recruited to the Young Socialist party and excluded from school for leading ‘pupil-power’ marches and picketing the school. Also aged 14 Gary was sent to juvenile detention centre for criminal damage and theft. During his time there he was physically and mentally abused and he describes this as a very negative period of his life.

Upon release he quickly deteriorated, abusing various drugs and becoming involved with crime. In 1980, six months after being released from borstal, he moved to live in London. In June of that year he was discovered severely injured four stories below the flat he was squatting [in Campbell Buildings] and was taken to hospital with a broken back, arm, legs and head injuries. When police investigated the circumstances, they found the body of another man in Gary’s squat. Charged and bailed for this man’s murder, Gary returned to Birmingham where even on crutches he continued his life of punk rock gigs and substance abuse.

In May 1981, he was found guilty of murder (despite numerous forensic discrepancies) and sentenced to be ‘detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure’, the juvenile equivalent of a life sentence. The then Lord Chief Justice recommended that he should serve ‘no more that 8-9 years’. Despite this it was a full 20 years before Gary was first released in July 2000.

Gary was recalled to prison three months later for having sexual relationships with two female peers at his rehab unit and running away with one of them. After another three years in prison for these breaches of his license conditions, he was again released in 2003 to another drink /drug rehab centre. Twelve months later in 2004 he was again recalled to prison for missing a probation appointment. He’s still there.

Over the last five years in prison, Gary has suffered from severe depression and made three serious attempts to take his own life. After the second attempt, Gary was introduced to drawing and painting for the first time in and has since become a prolific painter. He has won a Koestler award for one of his paintings and has been both encouraged and inspired to paint by the staff of a Cambridge University library that have bought and exhibited several of his early works and sponsor him with materials etc.

Despite unanimous recommendations of release and the parole board agreeing that he does not constitute a risk to the public, Gary was recently refused parole on the grounds that if he was ever to relapse into drink /drug use there was a “possibility” that he “could” re-offend violently. This was despite all professional opinion and the masses of evidence to the contrary where Gary has been in active addiction without any such incident.

This ruling is currently the subject of a judicial review, being in breach of not only the Human Rights Act but also several judicial rulings regarding Lifers. There are also investigations still going on into the events surrounding the index offence, of which Gary to this day has no memory.

Gary describes his on-going imprisonment as “warehousing”. He has now actually served more than three times the recommended sentence. He maintains that he never murdered anyone, never intended to hurt anyone and has never before or indeed since the age of 17 been involved in any violence. He says he is now semi-institutionalised and a true product of the system. No longer jailed in relation to the original offence, he has become somewhat of a political prisoner: being punished over and over by a retributive system for his years of rebellion and breaches of petty rules.

Gary on right with green jacket and blond spikes 1979/80 – photo courtesy of Carol Coombes.

Some of Gary’s prison artwork may be viewed HERE 

http://www.justiceforgarycritchley.org

Template for contacting MP’s and other officials or media. Please cut and paste the document below onto a word document and print it out to send by post or fax.

Dear …………………..,

I am contacting you regarding Gary Critchley, prisoner no B39969 (A1473AK), convicted of murder in 1981.

The Judge at the time recommended he serve no more than 9/10 years.

This is now his 30th year of incarceration. The conviction is unsafe and according to his solicitor one of the worst miscarriages of justice Britain has ever seen.

Briefly the case is as follows, however please read the Private Eye article

(http://www.b39969.org.uk/pdf/private_eye_24July2009.pdf)

for full details.

Gary allegedly killed a man in 1980. During this murder he sustained frontal lobe damage to his brain, by being hit with a hammer. He also broke his back, ankle and wrist and was found in the street covered in blood.

The victim sustained more than 20 blows with a hammer.

The blood on Gary was found to be from his injuries and there was not one speck of the victim’s blood on him.

The victim was discovered in a room on the upper floor in the building, Gary was found outside on the pavement.

The only evidence to link Gary to the crime was a trainer, two or three sizes too small for him, on his left foot. On his right foot was his own boot which fitted him.

Gary apparently killed the victim, avoiding any blood, changed one shoe, hit himself on the head with the hammer, and then jumped out of the window.

The truth indicates that both Gary and the victim were attacked by a third party, who remains at liberty.

I feel that this really is a grave miscarriage of justice.

Unfortunately, this is not a high profile case, merely the case of an ordinary citizen who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A person who nearly lost his life, but who ended up in prison himself, for something the forensic evidence suggests that he didn’t commit.

I am asking you to look into this, because I know if you do, you will want to take it further.

……………………………………………… Signature.

260 comments
  1. tony (Robbo)
    tony (Robbo)
    December 19, 2009 at 8:42 pm

    I am an old friend of Gary and was with him that fateful night in Waterloo station I would like to do anything I can to help Gary, I had no idea he was still in prison after all these years, I last saw him in Long Lartin HMP when I visited him in 1985.

  2. jock
    jock
    December 27, 2009 at 2:59 pm

    when i tried to email wendy thurley @ wt1000@cam.ac.uk keep getting a failure to deliver message back from google.
    anyone else tried to email with success?
    would be good if we had a contact address for gary to write to him in prison, maybe send him stuff like books or magazines, not sure what your actually allowed to send prisoners, anyone know?

  3. AL Puppy
    AL Puppy • Post Author •
    December 28, 2009 at 9:36 am

    Jock – try Julie jac46@cam.ac.uk. I had an e-mail from her just before Xmas.

  4. jock
    jock
    December 28, 2009 at 10:39 am

    thanx al, sent one to julie not long after i got the delivery failure notice after trying wendys, no reply yet so at least it must have got thru, probabley on her crimbo break at mo?

  5. jock
    jock
    December 30, 2009 at 11:47 am

    I got an email from Julie and she said it would be ok to copy and paste it here @ kypp……..

    Thank you ever so much for your message regards Gary’s dire situation. It is exactly your type of response and support that he needs. It is not straightforward to send him things but the first step is just to write to him, Gary writes wonderful letters and further down the line what he could do with is some cash in order to buy stamps, paper, envelopes but just write to him first and see what he has to say. I will find out the exact way of sending postal orders to the prison for him and let you know.

    Once this holiday period is over, and I personally needed this break, we will be having a talk with Glyn Maddocks, Gary’s solicitor, to see how best to move forward with the supporters who have appeared from this discovery of Bob Short’s book and the chapter on Campbell Buildings. It was pure chance and perhaps a breakthrough if we can dig up some real witnesses?
    I will keep you informed as soon as we have news on next steps forward. There are quite a few of you who read KYPP and have been in touch and this is very positive I have to say.

    This is Gary’s address. He cannot receive books before prior warning as he has to supply some paperwork to the prison authorities to release whatever is sent him. He cannot receive CD’s unfortunately as I had thought music would be helpful. He will need painting materials but as I said earlier let us take this step by step and as in all cases of this sort the biggest drawback is funding. We are doing this so far with no financial help whatsoever and one idea is to sell Gary’s artwork and cards I have made from photographing his paintings but all of this takes time to set up, organize and most importantly fund. But as Gary has been inside now for 28 years (can you even begin to imagine….) I think we have a bit of time to get cracking. Once again thank you so much.

    Gary Critchley (B39969)
    H.M.Prison Gartree
    Hospital Wing
    Leicestershire
    LE16 7RP

    With warm regards and may 2010 mean a good year in Gary’s life…l

    Julie

  6. Penguin
    Penguin
    January 9, 2010 at 10:16 pm

    Michelle Says:

    January 8th, 2010 at 6:40 pm edit

    I’m Gary Critchleys sister, we all know Gary didnt do this and was stitched up by the police for it. His Trial was at the Old Bailey the same time as the Yorkshire ripper (Peter Sutcliffe). The way things are he will be released before Gary. If anyone wants to write to Gary the address is:

    Gary Critchley B39969
    H.C.C.H.M Prison
    Gartree
    Leicestershire
    LE16-7RP

    Comment left on the Campbell Buildings post

  7. baronvonzubb
    baronvonzubb
    January 21, 2010 at 7:03 am

    Eeh oop tony.
    I dunno mate,in 2 years you never posted about the heretics…!!
    I think sam has passed on all the contact details for the support group and lawyer etc to you ?
    If not email me @baronvonzubb@hotmail.com
    I’m in South India atm but get to the net every week or so.
    Hello to all in puppyland from maharastra (south of mumbai).
    Cheers jake

  8. Penguin
    Penguin
    January 21, 2010 at 9:38 am

    The following statement below from Glyn Maddocks, the solicitor handling Gary’s case:

    Gary welcomes and appreciates all contact from those who were living in Campbell Buildings in the early 1980’s or knew people who were there or who may have knowledge of the events that led to the murder of Edward McNeil.
    Gary has served 28 years in prison for this crime for which he is innocent and needs anyone who can help to provide fresh evidence to clear his name to come forward. If requested any evidence provided will be treated confidentially. For practical reasons Gary cannot respond to each individual contact but thanks everyone who makes contact – any information however trivial or insignificant it may seem could perhaps be of vital importance.

    Some of Gary’s writing has now been uploaded – some poems and excerpts from his letters……..

    http://www.b39969.org.uk/index.html

  9. jock
    jock
    January 22, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    got a great letter from him yesterday,in it he says he really could do with clothes donating-if his sister or julie are reading this what size his he?
    sure there are folk out there with old teeshirts and jeans they no longer wear?
    he also would really appreciate postal orders of any amount,everything has to be purchased inside,cant send him much really,i thought they allowed stamps so they can reply to people but even thats verbotten.
    going to send him a PO for a few quid next payday.

  10. jock
    jock
    January 22, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    also just got a beautifully hand painted postcard from gary today,i sent one stamp with my letter to him and apparently if its just one it will get thru.

  11. Julie
    Julie
    January 24, 2010 at 12:48 am

    nice one jock, and even nicer to be chillin’ in India zubb, coz its a wee bit chilly here,but very glad to hear from you all again was a bit worried by the silence, julie

  12. Julie
    Julie
    January 24, 2010 at 12:49 am

    forgot to thank penguin for posting Glyn’s message

  13. Michelle
    Michelle
    January 29, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    Gary is a large in tops and will only wear long sleeves because of all his tattoo’s. He is a 32 waist. Anyone sending any clothes has to write to him first and then he has to let the prison know that they are going to be sent in.
    Michelle

  14. jock
    jock
    February 28, 2010 at 1:28 pm

    have recently sent gary a postcard to tell him to ask permission for some clothes to send him.
    has anyone else, especially those who knew him back then been writing to him?

  15. Jah Pork Pie
    Jah Pork Pie
    March 3, 2010 at 5:30 am

    Saw this bit of inflammatory nonsense about the Bulger killer tonight and it made me ask myself even more about why Gary is still locked up…

    “When Jon Venables walked out of prison in 2001, it was not as a free man. His release came because the Parole Board decided the public would be safe if he were allowed into the community on a licence that includes strict conditions.

    A criminal’s recall to prison is triggered by one of three circumstances. He either committed a crime, showed the signs that he was about to, or breached specific conditions imposed. Breaches can be technical, such as being out of the home at the exact start of a curfew, or far more serious, such as contacting a victim’s family.

    Venables will be told why he is back inside and he can seek a full oral hearing before the Parole Board. But with public protection being the top priority, the panel will start with the case for keeping him inside, rather than the argument for letting him out.”

    Well: what are they doing to Gary? Is having a drink when you’re in a bail hostel or copping off with someone when you haven’t had the opportunity to do it for 20 bloody years “committing a crime”, “being about to”, or “breaching a specific condition”?

    @Michelle-> 32 waist and a large chest… Will try to sort something out (though not from my personal clothing vault as I have descended bodily into a tub of lard to make Roy Hattersley look like Michael Foot, over the years!)

  16. Jah Pork Pie
    Jah Pork Pie
    March 3, 2010 at 5:41 am

    Last week I sent Julie Coimbra a list of all the names (alive and dead) of people I could remember living at CB in 1980 who weren’t regular posters on here. It might help if you guys sorted her out a few names too, just to cross reference.

    This has to be the year that Gary gets out. One of us may have that crucial bit of information that gets his case back to the CCRB. We MUST all try. Even if that’s exhausted, let’s not forget that it’s an election year and all of the politicians will be well keen to be seen to be doing things. Let’s try at least to get him out on license again – without him having to admit to something he hasn’t done, obviously.

    As I’ve said before, Gary is one of us. Always was, always will be – no matter what you are doing now. He who lives without a sense of history is living from hand to mouth.

  17. jock
    jock
    March 3, 2010 at 11:46 am

    nice one pork pie, are people still up for a march/demo down in london? cant promise if i can persuade people to come down but i would certainley try and make it, on benefits at the mo so cash flow aint even a trickle.
    what about some fathers for justice type actions to get more publicity? (i aint wearing latex trousers tho!)
    remember the case of george davies when supporters got onto the cricket pitch at lords or the oval, mashed up the pitch and threw oil over it, didnt they write gd is innocent on the crease with the oil, just a thought.
    good luck pp.

  18. Jah Pork Pie
    Jah Pork Pie
    March 3, 2010 at 3:35 pm

    I’m definitely on for a march – anyone got any ideas other than latex trousers though? I’d end up getting nicked for obscenity!

    I remember the George Davis thing – he ended up getting released and then going back inside for a suspiciously similar armed robbery, didn’t he? Waste of a good cricket pitch, that bloke!

    Apologies for the Michael Foot reference above, btw – it was before I heard of his death and was simply a jokey reference to my increasing waistline with the fattest and thinnest politicians from the eighties that
    I could think of. Trust me to open my big mouth 🙁

  19. jock
    jock
    March 3, 2010 at 6:20 pm

    no-the sight of several now slighly not as thin as we used to be anarcho punks in latex,not a good idea i agree, we’d be arrested for gross indecencey before we even set off!
    plus trying to do anything with all the cctv makes it trickier.

  20. Nic
    Nic
    March 4, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    On a strange note, I saw a bit of ‘George Davis is Innocent’ graffiti in a strange location (Leamington Spa) about 2 weeks ago…It looked pretty fresh as well (despite being in the traditional 1970’s ‘Paint Brush’ style)…Perhaps it was a Sham fan?

  21. jock
    jock
    March 4, 2010 at 3:57 pm

    thats just surreal, it was probably jimmy pursey! didnt look very well last time i saw him on some telly doc.

  22. Chris L
    Chris L
    March 4, 2010 at 4:53 pm

    maybe it’s a viral marketing campaign for M&S clothing line?

  23. Sam
    Sam
    March 7, 2010 at 10:16 pm

    They’ve probably ‘Slapped (why is it always slapped?) a preservation order on it’ and it’s been restored. There was a paintbrushed ‘Vote Wilson’ near Swiss Cottage for years and years which was a bit weird to read in the 90s.

  24. Jah Pork Pie
    Jah Pork Pie
    March 8, 2010 at 4:06 am

    [insert “Slappers” joke of your choice]

    Milan Kundera would probably appreciate the irony: the first occurrence ever of someone being airbrushed INTO history!

  25. Jah Pork Pie
    Jah Pork Pie
    March 8, 2010 at 4:27 am

    BTW, does anyone else remember the “Free George Ince” campaign?

    Look here… http://www.ennever.com/histories/history7414.php

    … for some sobering similarities with Gary’s treatment both at the hands of the Old Bill Stitch up and his subsequent treatment inside at the hands of HMP. The difference? Gary wasn’t even a mate of the Krays!

    Let’s make sure that Gary gets out this year before the 30th anniversary of his incarceration. The person that I was then has been very significant in making me the person that I am now. If you think the same way about yourself, then come on… let’s get the man out, eh?

    Anything you can remember, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, please send it to Julie Coimbra. In the meantime, let’s get this march arranged.

    May your God go with y’all!

  26. Jah Pork Pie
    Jah Pork Pie
    March 8, 2010 at 4:43 am

    … and just as a matter of interest, is there anyone out there who thinks that Gary’s was a safe, sound conviction on the basis of the evidence offered at the time, and also with the hindsight that modern forensic techniques offer us?

    And of course the hindsight that 30 years of bent Old Bill being called to account offer us too.

    I’d be keen to know.

  27. jock
    jock
    March 8, 2010 at 9:35 am

    once gary is out, shouldnt the arresting officers be investigated, reading the link gerard posted, i read the case of Robery Brown who was sent down for the murder of a woman in manchester, he was beaten to fuck to confess to the killing, the cop in charge later stood trial for all sorts of corruption along with other manchester c.i.d. officers, they’d been bang at it for years, ‘the firm within a firm’ being the classic description of their working methods, Ex DCI Jack Butler was found guilty of all sorts of corruption, Robert Brown is trying to take him back to court regarding his own case claiming Ex DCI Jack Butler and others conspired to keep him inside by lieing and not disclosing important evidence that proved Robert was innocent from the start,you can read about it here http://www.mojoscotland.com/robert_brown/robert_brown.html
    on Roberts release one of the first things he said was, ‘i’m free now,but there are loads of innocent people serving time inside,absolutely loads’.
    we all remember the methods of policing in the 70’s and 80’s, it makes you wonder how much nasty work has gone on at the hands of those old style cops, hidden away or shredded and destroyed, theyve got away with murder and god knows what else.

  28. Julie Coimbra
    Julie Coimbra
    March 15, 2010 at 5:33 pm

    Hello everyone, I received this message for you all in my latest letter from Gary. Julie

    From: Gary Critchley (CRAP) to K.Y.P.P. users.

    I would like to say thank you to everyone that has tried to help me or even thought about trying to help. Your thoughts have kept me going lately when things have been rough.
    Thank you to Penguin, Pork for his letter about me to Julie. Thank you to Sam for the memories, and especially to the couple of people John (Jock) and Dale (& his amazing monkeys) who took the time to write to me in person. As Al Puppy said its mail that keeps you going in jail.
    I don’t have a crystal-ball (not even a ball of crystal meth) but it’s not hard to guess what the future holds for me (without some extreme changes), however there are a few embers of hope still smouldering within me. Some new evidence or even existing evidence that could be looked at in a new light might yield something that changes everything. Another far more unexpected seed of hope was finding out about you lot, that you still exist and what’s more have blossomed into the caring adults you are now (even if we are still 17 inside). Thankyou.
    ——————————————–
    I would just like to add that next time you write to Gary please include his newest prison number which is (A1473AK).

    Therefore his full address is:

    Gary Critchley B39969 (A1473AK)
    H.C.C. H.M.Prison Gartree
    Leicestershire
    LE16 7RP

    I have made a lot of cards of Gary’s paintings and they have a label on the back with his website address. I am happy to send you all some so that you may distribute them to friends and family to extend the message.

    You may write to me directly at juliecoimbra@gmail.com with your postal address and I’ll get them to you posthaste.

    Regards to all,
    Julie

  29. baron von zubb
    baron von zubb
    March 18, 2010 at 5:24 pm

    pork since we had that review in vice i contacted them to see if they were interested in running a piece. they aint got back to me yet but if anyone has any media contacts that may be a way to go. chris l, wanna prompt
    your mate james about this?

  30. julie
    julie
    March 19, 2010 at 4:51 pm

    New paintings in the gallery at http://www.b39969.org.uk/gallery.html

    The Hate Factory

    Having been in prison for more than two thirds of my life now, I have witnessed dramatic changes in most prisons at least. However the essence of prison – a mixture of loneliness, grief, pain, self pity and violence – is still there, simmering below the surface. ‘The Hate Factory’ represents that essence of prison to me.

    The meeting of dark and light colours is representative of that meeting of old and new. Reform clashing with retribution. Prison to me is the ultimate melting pot, not just of every colour and creed but of every other class or division. The great leveller. The Hate Factory is meant to represent how prison for many is destruction and an end of everything they hold dear, whilst for a lucky few it is a new beginning. The representation of the cockroach sat on the slop-bucket, the recurring keyholes, the fat rat and the shadows of the bars are all to remind us that the past still lurks beneath.

    Gary Critchley, 2007

    Parole

    This painting is representative of the parole system and the depth of feeling that it evokes. Anyone awaiting a parole answer is under a tremendous amount of pressure.

    The painting is meant to portray the anxiety and confusion I feel at such times. The way I’m metaphysically torn apart by this All Important Question, when all I want is answers. The fact that my ‘head is in bits’. Part of me searches for light at the end of the tunnel, but the way is blocked to me by untold faceless bureaucrats. I dream of the world outside, but my memories have become faded like aged sepia tinted photographs, and it’s like part of me doesn’t want to see as it’s too painful and there is an element of institutionalisation. While another part of me yearns for the wings of freedom. The deep red is significant of the confusion/anger that clouds my mind. I feel like a robot at such times, like I’m in a fugue like state and running on automatic, and everything is inverted. The curtains represent the shroud of despair that envelopes me as a little bit of me dies with each refusal.

    Gary Critchley, 2007

  31. Tony Puppy
    Tony Puppy
    March 20, 2010 at 9:38 pm

    Gary has posted in the Bob Short Trash excerpt thread:

    “hello, julie and wendy if you are reading this is me gary, i’ve just found out that i can contact the site from here in the hospital. so i hope that maybe in the future i may be able to contact and reply to you all direct from here 🙂 . all the best gary. now officially barking mad”

    I’ve copied it here as well.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *