Ex-Royal Marine Who Had Prison Sentence Quashed Gives First Hand Account Of Prison System
5 June 2019, 14:21 | Updated: 5 June 2019, 14:23
This ex-Royal Marine called in to tell LBC the shocking story of his brush with prison due to illegal immigrants sneaking into the country in the back of his lorry.
During a discussion over the proposed scrapping of prison sentences of eight weeks or shorter John from Kettering called in to tell Tom Swarbrick about his brush with prison and the shocking reason, he ended up there.
Opening the call he told Tom he thought the justice system was a "bit of a joke," from his personal experiences.
John said, in 2003 when returning from serving as a Royal Marine in Kosovo he was driving his father's lorry home and upon his arrival in the UK, it was discovered illegal immigrants had climbed in the back.
The caller said he believed they climbed in the back of his 45-foot trailer while he was taking a mandatory rest break.
Sentenced to three and a half years in prison the caller explained his court case dragged on for 18 months, and cost him a staggering £120,000. He was also discharged from the Royal Marines.
John said he couldn't prove in court that he didn't know the illegal immigrants were in the back of his lorry.
Amazingly, John was released after 21 months when he won an appeal. The caller said he re-joined the Royal Marines.
Giving his view on the prison system, John said: "rehabilitation only happens in the person's mind."
The caller said during his time in prison he shared cells with murders and rapists.
John told a sorry tale of the state of the prison system from an inmates point of view.
"You can only be rehabilitated if you choose to be rehabilitated," John said.
When he released John was paid £140 per day that he had spent in prison in compensation.
Listen to the whole amazing call at the top of the page.
