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when he gets to prison it then appears after he has been there some time that there are grounds for transferring him to a mental institution for treatment, there are ample powers under the Act which will enable the Home Secretary to do so. Moreover, as soon as it becomes apparent, and it is to be hoped that it may not be long, but one cannot tell, that it is safe from the public point of view and from his own point of view to do so, this boy will be released. At first sight a sentence of life imprisonment, particularly having regard to his age, sounds terrible, but when the factors to which reference has been made are considered it will be seen that this is really in mercy to the boy and will perhaps enable him to be released much sooner than if long term of imprisonment had been imposed which was the only other possible alternative."
The applicant suffered a mental breakdown in 1969 and received treatment at Grendon Underwood Psychiatric Prison. After six months' treatment he served his sentence at Albany Prison until his release on licence on 31 March 1976. He had originally been given a release date for April 1975 but had absconded from a prison hostel during a. probationary six months period. A further release date was set for 1975 but was again rescinded after unsatisfactory behaviour. His case was referred to the Parole Board and, on their recommendation, he was released in March 1976.
On 12 January 1977 the applicant pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Magistrates Court to burglary and driving while uninsured and without a licence. He was given a conditional discharge for one year and fined. 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.
On
At the beginning of June 1977 the applicant was given accommodation and employment as a labourer at Aylesford Priory. 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. He was escorted by police back to the Priory where he became agitated 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.