Guildford Four man Gerry Conlon's 'living hell' revealed - BBC

Guildford Four member Gerry Conlon wrote to the Irish government describing his "living hell" in prison, declassified documents have shown. Imagesource,PAImagecaption,GerryConlonpicturedin1991,twoyearsafterhisreleaseGuildfordFourmemberGerryConlonwrotetotheIrishgovernmentdescribinghis"livinghell"inprison,declassifieddocumentshaveshown.AletterwrittenbyMrConlon12yearsintohislifetermfollowingtheGuildfordpubbombingsin1974suggestedhewasthinkingofkillinghimself.Thewrongly-convictedmenserved15yearsbeforetheirreleasein1989.ItiswidelyregardedasoneoftheUK'sworstmiscarriagesofjustice.TheletterwaswrittenfromHMPLongLartinin1987-sevenyearsafterthedeathinprisonofMrConlon'sfatherGiuseppe,whowaswronglyconvictedonexplosiveschargesaftertheIRAblasts.Imagesource,PAImagecaption,TheGuildfordFourserved15yearsbeforetheywerefreedMrConlonwrotetotheIrishtanaisteandforeignaffairsministerBrianLenihan:"Ifnothingisdonetohelpus,Imustfaceanother18yearsofa'livinghell'."IcanassureyouthatIdonotintendtoserveit,Iwouldmuchratherjoinmydearfather."IcanseethatifmyplightisnotresolvedinthenearfuturethatIwillhavetodecidewhichformofprotestImusttake."ThisisnotsomethingIwanttodobutyoucanonlysuffersomuch."Imagecaption,AnnMcKernansaidherbrothershowedgreatdignityAfterreadingtheletter,MrConlon'ssister,AnnMcKernansaid:"WhocouldblameGerryifhecontemplatedsuicide,aninnocentmanwhowatchedourinnocentfatherdieinaBritishprison?"Gerrysufferedsomuchwithgreatdignity.I'mgladthisletterhascometolightbecauseitshowsthat,eveninthedeepestdespair,Gerryhadafirmgripontheissuesoverhisarrest."Imagesource,NationalArchivesImagecaption,AmemoreferredtoarequestforstatementstoberedraftedMrLenihan'sreplyamonthlatertriedtoassureMrConlonofthesupportoftheIrishgovernment.Hewrote:"Iunderstandthefrustrationwhichyounowfeelafter12yearsofimprisonment.Thewidespreadpublicsympathyforyourpredicamentandsupportforyourcase,however,(may/can/should)beasourceofencouragementforyou."TheGuildfordFour5October1974-IRAbombsexplodeintwopubsinGuildford,Surrey,killingfivepeopleandinjuringscoresmore.Guildfordwasknownasa"garrisontown",withseveralbarracksnearby22October1975-PaulHill,GerryConlon,PatrickArmstrongandCaroleRichardson-theGuildfordFour-jailedforlife19October1989-Afteryearsofcampaigning,theCourtofAppealquashestheconvictions,rulingthemasunsafe9February2005-PrimeMinisterTonyBlairformallyapologisestotheGuildfordFourforthemiscarriageofjusticetheysufferedFivepeoplediedandmorethan65wereinjuredintheGuildfordexplosions.WhentheGuildfordFourweresentenced,trialjudgeMrJusticeDonaldsontoldthem:"Ifhangingwerestillanoption,youwouldhavebeenexecuted."TheBalcombeStreetIRAunitadmittedresponsibilityfortheexplosionsin1976,althoughno-oneelsewasevercharged.AftertheBBCobtainedpapersattheNationalArchivesunderFOI,MrsMcKernanhiredlawyerswhosaidthedocumentsshowed"possiblealterationorsuppressionofevidence".Imagesource,PAImagecaption,MrConlonreceivedaletterofapologyfromTonyBlairRelatedTopicsGuildfordMoreonthisstory'Corewitnesslost'aspolicechiefdiesPublished14November2017IRAblastpre-inquesthearingsannouncedPublished8November2017GuildfordFourpolice'actedcriminally'Published6October2017GuildfordFourfiles'mustbereleased'Published27October2016RelatedInternetLinksGovernmentofIrelandTheBBCisnotresponsibleforthecontentofexternalsites.FromotherlocalnewssitesVic'sMusicMatters:Sonicetohavea‘normal’Christmas!ExternalFarnhamHeraldWaverleymayorCllrJohnRobini'sMagicalChristmascancelled,butfundraisingcontinuesExternalFarnhamHerald80-year-oldpedestrianseriouslyinjuredaftercrashwithBMWExternalSurreyCometManinhis30sdiesafterbikecrashwithMercedescarinEwellExternalSurreyCometInformationaboutBBClinkstoothernewssitesTopStoriesUyghurTribunalaccusesChinaofgenocidePublished15hoursagoMacron:ChinaOlympicboycottisinsignificantPublished8hoursagoNicaraguacutstieswithTaiwaninfavourofChinaPublished1houragoFeaturesPart-Thatcher,part-MerkelandwantstorunFranceWeeklyquiz:Which'nerdy'hobbyisSupermaninto?'TheywouldtouchmebutIcouldn'tobject'HowonewomanhelpedsavehervillagefromstarvationWhereareAfghanistan'swomenMPsnow?'Magical'-thefirstdisabledcrewtoflyinzero-gravityThesurprisingbenefitsoflifelikedolls.VideoThesurprisingbenefitsoflifelikedollsThewomandecidingwhatyouwatch.VideoThewomandecidingwhatyouwatchBBCTravel:Britain'smostremoteinhabitedislandElsewhereontheBBCQuiz:HowwelldoyouknowTheBeatles?Seehowmanyquestionsyoucangetright...'IlookbackeverydayandIthinkIwillforever'StevenGerrarddiscusseshiscareerhighsandlowsMostRead1Atleast53peoplekilledinMexicotruckcrash2ActorJussieSmollettguiltyoflyingaboutattack3Macron:ChinaOlympicboycottisinsignificant4PM'spresschiefspokeatNo10partylastyear5Womanfined€1,200forTourdeFrancepile-up6NicaraguacutstieswithTaiwaninfavourofChina7'TheywouldtouchmebutIcouldn'tobject'8MakerofsuicidepodplanstolaunchinSwitzerland9Part-Thatcher,part-MerkelandwantstorunFrance10WhatwouldbethefalloutifRussiainvadedUkraine?