Father-of-two on the run over indefinite prison sentence appeals to justice secretary to intervene
2 January 2025, 12:45
A father-of-two has gone on the run after being handed an indefinite prison sentence for a crime he committed aged just 15.
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Matthew Booth, 33, from Manchester, has already served his minimum jail term more than three times over after he was convicted under the indefinite Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentencing system.
The now-scrapped IPP sentences were intended for criminals considered 'dangerous' and persistent offenders whose offences did not merit full life sentence.
Now, while on the run from police, the fugitive has appealed directly to the justice secretary to intervene in his case.
The father is wanted by police on recall to prison after rekindling his relationship with the mother of his two children without informing probation officers.
Abigail Vernon, the mother of his two daughters, claimed in October claims the pair were back in a serious relationship were not true, according to the Independent.
The IPP order means Booth can be recalled at any time without notice for breaches of his strict license conditions.
He was handed an IPP aged just 15 for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, serving a minimum of two years and seven months.
Man on the run after being recalled: Matthew Wright and Shirley De Bono discuss
Booth was found guilty of hitting a stranger over the head with a brick, claiming he was protecting a friend in a fight.
A further fight saw Mr Booth jump on the head of another individual.
He was released in 2013 but has been recalled to prison three times - twice for arrests that led to no charge.
He was last released in November 2023 after serving 19 months, according to reports
Now, he is appealing to the justice secretary to intervene, labelling the idea of handing himself in following the IPP order "traumatising".
Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Booth said: “[She] could make sure I don’t go straight back to prison again. If she said that, I would hand myself in straight away.
“For now, I am going to live on my own, send Christmas cards to my children and see how long I can stand the cold.
"Some days I have got every intention of handing myself in to the police station. But it’s a hard thing to do. It is traumatising.”
He told told Guardian he planned to live on his own, outside in a forest clearing in a bid to avoid being incarcerated yet again.
IPP sentences have been widely condemned by a range of bodies including by the UN.
Despite being scrapped in 2012, sentences before this date were not impacted, meaning historic IPPs remain in place.
Shirley Debono, a co-founder of IPP Committee in Action, who has supported Vernon and Booth, said: “Shabana Mahmood must intervene and stop Matthew from being sent back to prison.”
