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surrendered to the police and on his return to prison was violent and refused food for a time. On the recommendation of the Parole Board a further release date was set for October 1975. However, this date was again rescinded when the applicant returned to a prison hostel drunk and tried to escape while being escorted to the main prison. His case was again referred to the Parole Board and, on their recommendation, he was released in March 1976.
31. On 12 January 1977 the applicant pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Magistrates Court to burglary and driving while uninsured and without a licence. It appears he had broken into a beach hut and stolen a pullover. He was given a conditional discharge for one year and fined. The probation report described the applicant as having frequent disagreements with members of his family, with whom he lived in turn, and drinking to excess in times of stress. Following this incident, a letter warning that his life licence could be revoked was issued by the Home Office and served on him on 19 April 1977.
32. At the beginning of June 1977 the applicant was given. accommodation and employment as a labourer at Aylesford Priory. On 21 June he was arrested, having damaged a car in the village while driving a dumper truck without permission. He was granted bail. Two days later he visited a public, house and became drunk and abusive. Не was escorted by police back to the Priory where he became agitated, particularly at the prospect of being sent back to prison again, and produced an air pistol, threatening to commit suicide. A priest in the Priory remonstrated with him, the gun was fired and a lead pellet hit the ceiling. Later that day he was found to be very drunk and in possession of a quantity of bottles of spirits which had been stolen from a store. He was arrested and taken to the police station where he became abusive and violent and during the night tried to hang himself.
33. On 30 June 1977 the Home Secretary ordered that the applicant's licence be revoked under Section 62 (2) of the Criminal Justice Act 1967. In accordance with Section 62 (4) of the Act his case was referred to the Parole Board which decided to defer consideration of his case until the outcome of his appearance in court, in connection with the above offences, was known.
34. On 3 October 1977 he was convicted on charges of taking a dumper truck for his own use, being in possession of an air pistol as a prohibited person, theft of some alcohol and damaging a police blanket. He was given a conditional discharge for two years by a judge (Judge Streeter) assisted by two lay magistrates. Judge Streeter indicated that he did not consider that the applicant's case was "a typical case of someone given a sentence such as a life sentence, released on parole, and then reverting straight into crime, reverting back to usual or true colours". He then left it to the Home Office to consider whether to release the applicant once more on parole with the suggestion that he be allowed his liberty again.