Sunday People

I’ve paid lags £1,500 to stop jail attacks on son

MUM’S PRISON VIOLENCE NIGHTMARE

- By Alan Selby

INMATES have extorted more than £1,500 from a prisoner’s family as the anarchy gripping UK jails continues to spiral.

The 26-year-old convict’s mother says she paid up to £100 a time after repeated threats to maim and kill her son.

She said: “He has been stabbed and hospitalis­ed because of an eye injury.

“I’ve had calls from mobile phones smuggled inside. They’ve all got them and they’re using them to blackmail us.”

The prisoner, who we are not naming to avoid putting him further at risk, is serving four years at HMP Feathersto­ne, a Category C prison in Staffordsh­ire. He had no previous conviction­s but was jailed in May last year for inciting fear of violence after he used a BB airgun to protect his girlfriend and daughter from an intruder. His mum said: “When the beatings started we got assurances he would be protected but it hasn’t stopped.

“We get phone calls asking for cash or bank transfers but the beatings still go on.

“We visited him last week and he had a black eye. We heard he will be going into hospital again for damage to his eye socket. ” The mother’s shocking revelation follows a series of Sunday People i nvestigati­ons i nto anarchy and violence across Britain’s prisons, including widespread use of illegal phones for criminal activity. Staffordsh­ire Police have l aunched an investigat­ion into the SOME may beef about it but when the chips were down there was only one place 16st Louise Shapton would have her reception after marrying her Joe.

They and 50 guests hit McDonald’s in Hatfield, Herts, even though Louise, 33, must lose nearly five stone for lifesaving gastric bypass surgery.

The couple eat there at least three blackmail complaint at HMP Feathersto­ne. Local MP and Business Minister Sajid Javid has also been in touch with the family and is trying to help.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “Police are investigat­ing an assault at HMP Feathersto­ne and we have taken action against the offender involved.

“We take allegation­s of this nature incredibly seriously and the safety of those in our custody is a top priority.”

Staffordsh­ire Police said they are investigat­ing both the assault and “unusual monetary transactio­ns”. times a week but size 20 Louise insists her diet is not linked to her inability to shed weight for the £6,000 NHS op to treat her type 2 diabetes.

Louise, diabetic since 13, said: “McDonald’s isn’t as unhealthy as people think. I eat Big Macs, which are just protein. I don’t always finish the chips. What’s wrong with that?”

 ??  ?? LOVING IT: Joe and Louise WED A TREAT: With fries
LOVING IT: Joe and Louise WED A TREAT: With fries
 ??  ?? SCARY: One of our exclusives
SCARY: One of our exclusives

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom