Raab told me he is confident monsters will stay behind bars.. it was out of the blue and incredible to hear
Hudgell joy at phone call New law can stop release
PAULA Hudgell had been dreading a certain phone call for weeks.
She had been expecting a probation officer to tell her that the woman jailed for crippling her little boy Tony was back on the streets.
Instead, her fears turned to joy as a Cabinet Minister rang to assure her that the monster would stay locked up instead.
Evil Jody Simpson had been due out on Friday after being jailed for 10 years for abusing her own six-week-old son.
The torture – carried out with Tony’s father Anthony Smith – meant the tot had to have both legs amputated.
Paula, the lad’s adoptive mum, was warned the pair would be automatically released halfway through their sentences with time spent on remand taken into account.
But last Thursday Justice Secretary Dominic Raab phoned to say he was blocking Simpson’s release after a recent law change.
Smith, due out on August 29, will also be staying inside.
Delighted Paula said: “I had a call in the morning from my victim liaison officer to say Mr Raab had requested my phone number.
“I was on tenterhooks. I could only hope it was good news but never expected what he did tell me. It was completely out of the blue but so incredible to hear.
“I wasn’t aware of new powers that meant automatic release could be halted, so to hear him say he was using them was wonderful.
“Mr Raab sounded very confident about the case he had built against her, saying he had not come across a worse one than Tony’s, and the same challenge would be made against Smith.”
Two days earlier Paula and Tony had met Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Downing Street to receive an award for their years of fundraising and campaigning. Mr Johnson said of Tony: “Tony Hudgell was a defenceless baby when his parents assaulted him with a brutality it is impossible for most of us to imagine.
“After such a horrific start in life, many people would simply give up, give in and reconcile themselves to being one of life’s victims. But Tony really isn’t like most people.”
Tony, now seven, is a national hero after raising £1.7million in walks for Evelina London Children’s Hospital, which saved
his life, and has won a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain award. And his adoptive mum has successfully campaigned for an increase in jail sentences for child cruelty – Tony’s Law.
Paula, of West Malling, Kent, said: “This week has been such a rollercoaster of emotions. We were at Downing Street meeting Boris Johnson and having probably one of the best days of our lives. But always at the back of my mind was knowing Simpson was being released. Then, just two days later I’m having an unexpected phone chat with Dominic Raab. I don’t know if Boris had anything to do with Simpson’s release being blocked so soon after the reception or whether it’s just a coincidence.”
Paula said Tony was happy to hear about Mr Raab’s call and his eyes lit up when she told him. The intervention means the Parole Board will now decide the fate of Simpson and Smith, she explained. Paula went on: “Mr Raab couldn’t promise it would be a long-term block but felt he had a strong case and his action had definitely put a stop to what was to be her planned release.”
Paula has now been advised to deliver a victim impact statement to the Parole Board.
“We will put together a statement outlining in great detail how Tony is still affected and the impact on not just his daily activities but family life as well,” she added.
“People see this cheeky, brave, determined little boy but do not see the pain he still suffers, or the hundreds of hours of hospital appointments, physiotherapy and treatments he has. Those two monsters not only left my son at
death’s door with life-changing injuries but they delayed seeking medical help for 10 days. So any delay of their release is justice in my eyes.” Tony’s injuries in 2014 led to multiple organ failure and sepsis. He is also permanently deaf in one ear due to the trauma he sustained, and has long-term hip, thumb and wrist damage. Police initially decided there was insufficient evidence to prosecute his parents. But after fostering and adopting Tony, mum-of-eight Paula, 54, and husband Mark, 57, pushed for a prosecution, with help from their local MP Tom Tugendhat. Tony’s birth parents Simpson and Smith, from Whitstable, were 24 and 47 respectively when they were convicted in February 2018 of causing or allowing serious physical harm to their son and child cruelty at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent. Their 10-year terms were the maximum allowed at the time. Since then, the Government has passed Tony’s Law – boosting sentences to 14 years. Those who cause or allow the death of a child can now get life rather than 14 years. Paula – who is battling cancer – is continuing her campaign on behalf of Tony, calling for a child cruelty register. This would help police to keep track of abusers on their release, similar to the one that monitors sex offenders. She was assured by Mr Raab in the same phone call that he plans to meet her shortly to discuss it. feedback@people.co.uk
Any delay to their release from prison is justice in my eyes