The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Naked Rambler vows to carry on
NAKED RAMBLER Stephen Gough tasted his first day of freedom in six years yesterday and vowed to continue walking around Britain with no clothes on.
Former marine Gough said his time spent behind bars had “flown by” but added that he was looking forward to seeing his children for the first time in years.
Gough was spoken to by police when he was freed from Perth Prison yesterday morning but was then allowed to go on his way in an apparent shift in Tayside Police policy.
On the last few occasions he has been immediately arrested by officers waiting for him at the gates but yesterday he was given the go-ahead to walk off despite being naked.
He said: “My opinion is that the police have thought: ‘The guy’s not going to give up so let’s have a think about it.’
“Something has changed and it is good news for me.
“What they were doing before was preempting complaints and now they are not. The first thing I have to do is look through my stuff as I haven’t seen it in six years.
“I am going to head south and see what happens. I haven’t seen my kids for ages.
“It’s not all free and easy for me as I might get arrested at any moment.
“I don’t really know what I am going to do. I could get arrested when I go round the next corner. I want to see my mum as I haven’t seen her for six years.
“My children are teenagers — Kiana is 16 and yarin is 14. “They are teenagers so I expect they are embarrassed by me.
“This is my job. This is my vocation in life at the moment. I have absolutely no regrets, especially now.
“I think I have partially proved my point by making the police think more carefully about the issue.”
Gough (53), who completed a 657-day sentence yesterday, revealed that he had spent the vast majority of his time in solitary confinement.
“It is nice to be standing here, feeling the breeze,” he said.
“I haven’t been outside a building in the last six years and it is nice to smell the flowers and see the greenery.
“I was kept in solitary all the time. I wasn’t given association with other prisoners.
“I got half an hour in the evening to have a shower and walk up and down the hall when they have been locked away.”
GOUGH WENT on: “There would be other prisoners around and I would get a chat with them. I missed having a good deep conversation and connecting with people.
“I have kept fit doing step-ups on the chair in my cell every day. I don’t know how that will translate to actually walking.
“To conform with everyone else is the easiest way but when you conform you compromise your principles.
“I am not going to give up. Stay naked is the word.”
On his last release, Gough was arrested within 60 seconds and sentenced to 657 days imprisonment at Perth Sheriff Court for breaching the peace.
Gough appeared naked in the court dock and was also found guilty of contempt of court for failing to display the “decency” required by the court process.
The former marine had claimed arresting him for walking around naked was a breach of his human rights and his right to freedom of expression.
Gough has spent the vast majority of the past decade behind bars because of his refusal to wear clothing.
He initially earned the title Naked Rambler by walking unclothed from Land’s End to John o’ Groats after quitting his job.
Gough, from Hampshire, said: “What I am doing is based on my belief about what I am and what I am is not indecent.”
Tayside Police yesterday explained why they had not moved to immediately arrest Mr Gough when he was released from prison, as they had in the past.
Chief Inspector Andy McCann said: “Tayside Police has a duty to uphold the law but it also has a responsibility to act in the public interest.
“We have been working closely with our partners in law enforcement and the individual concerned in an effort to resolve this impasse.
“We hope that by exercising some discretion we can find a more satisfactory conclusion for all concerned.”