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John Bowden – Another Punishment Move

Leeds ABC | 22.08.2011 11:42 | Repression | Sheffield | World

Long-term prison resister John Bowden continues to be victimised by the State.

Despite the Parole Board recently recommending that John Bowden be moved back to an open prison, the Scottish Prison Service has transferred him to Shotts, the most secure prison in the country. This is a blatant punishment move, one of hundreds John Bowden has undergone since he was imprisoned in 1978 – YES 1978!

By ‘coincidence’ the governor of Shotts, Ian Whitehead, was previously governor of Castle Huntley open jail, where John Bowden (and the Anarchist Black Cross) was the victim of an orchestrated campaign of lies in which an American psychologist, Matt Stillman, smeared the ABC as a “terrorist organisation” with which John was in contact.

After a robust campaign led by Leeds ABC, and by John himself of course, the Scottish Prison Service were forced to climb down, and Stillman’s career was ruined. John has never been forgiven for having the courage and integrity to stand his ground, and the SPS have not forgotten how they were humiliated.

Picket of the Scottish Parliament organised by Leeds ABC
Once again, we ask comrades to help shine an international spotlight on SPS abuse, and to support John in his long battle for freedom.
Please send letters of support to John at the following address:

John Bowden
6729
HMP Shotts
Cantrell Road
Shotts
Scotland
ML7 4LE

And letters of protest to:

Ian Whitehead
Governor
HMP Shotts
Cantrell Road
Shotts
Scotland
ML7 4LE

Scottish Prison Service HQ
Calton House
5 Redheughs Rigg
Edinburgh
Scotland
EH12 9HW

The Parole Board
Grenadier House
99-105 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2DD
England

Leeds ABC
- e-mail: leedsabc@riseup.net
- Homepage: www.leedsabc.org

Comments

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?

22.08.2011 12:17

What was it he's locked up for? I'm sure it would make it a much more informative article if you included that... Don't you think some people might be interested to know John Bowden murdered somebody by decapitation and put his head in the fridge and scattered his body around the area. Regardless of your feelings on supporting him or not, it's pretty fucking deceptive to have an article about him (which will be read by people who don't know what he did) without mentioning what he's in for.

anon

Troll

22.08.2011 12:29

Do you trolls never stop? John Bowden has been in jail SINCE 1978!! He is not being held for what he was sent to prison for (murder), but for his political resistance behind bars. Isn't it enough that he has spent a lifetime rotting away in brutal segregation units without being hounded on the internet by liars and sad wankers with nothing better to do?

John Bowden killed someone (a convicted sex offender as it turned out) in a stupid drunken row over a game of cards, after he'd had a knife pulled on him. His co-defendants were released decades ago. What he was sent to prison for is irrelevent to his current treatment.

Anarchist

Re: John Bowden - new threat to his eventual release

22.08.2011 15:05

I am very glad this was posted; I am in regular contact with John and am well aware of his inde offence. The plain fact is he should have been released long before now. I have written again on John's behalf using the information given and am glad this was posted.

George Coombs

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he lured someone to a flat and dismembered him whilst they were still alive

22.08.2011 16:41

Very dangerous individual who has shown little respect for authority and is probably a continue danger to the public.


Saw killer John Bowden goes on run from prison

A SADISTIC killer who cut up a man with a saw while he was alive is on the run after being allowed to go shopping.
John "Ginger" Bowden, 51, was allowed the trip as part of his training for freedom - despite showing traces of cocaine in a prison drugs test.
And the decision by the killer - who was given a life sentence in 1982 - to go on the run has puzzled prison insiders, as he was due to go before a parole hearing which could have won him freedom in just a few days.
Ian McGregor, governor of Noranside Prison, near Brechin, Angus, is understood to have allowed the shopping trip as the drugs test was not totally conclusive.
A prison source said: "Bowden had asked for a second test. Even if that proved positive it wouldn't necessarily have affected his parole hearing, but absconding will. "
Bowden's suitability for parole was reviewed a year ago because of his contact with the group Anarchist Black Cross - who campaign for the abolition of the prison system.
Bowden, who has written for the group's website, blames the brutalising effect of the penal system for the "senseless" murder of park-keeper Donald Ryan, 49.
Mr Ryan was lured to a flat in London by Bowden and two other men and knocked unconscious. He was put in a bath and dismembered with a saw and a machete while alive.
Bowden spent 18 months on the run after escaping while on compassionate home leave in 1992.
But he was sent back to jail after being caught for dole fraud and identified by his fingerprints as a prisoner on the run.
He went on to marry secretary Alice Still, then 42, who he met during his escape.
But the prison source said they had separated some time ago.
Bowden was moved to open prison conditions last year and has been on regular home leaves.

anon

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the truth has been censored

22.08.2011 22:03

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/08/483649.html?c=all

truth seeker

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Never forgive never forget

22.08.2011 22:21

not just weirdo trolls who have a thing' for bowden's past. remember these anarchists laughing at bowden's activities. Led in no small part by captain anarchys - who was working for his dad's pr frim at the time. His dad being the head of corporate affairs for the labour party during their time in power.

Now someone post up a funny photoshop picture of a fridge.

Where ex-public school boys laugh at the imprisoned:  http://libcom.org/forums/news/hands-john-bowden

brightonsfinest

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Not forgotten

23.08.2011 10:01

Indeed, and remember how quickly the little rat disavowed both his comrades and his politics. If John Bowden had done that he'd have been out years ago, but he is a man of integrity.

@narcho

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Murderous Elephant in the Room

23.08.2011 16:53

Why was he playing cards with a registered sex offender? I'm not a liar or a troll & nor is anyone else who quite reasonably asks questions about his offence & conviction. Correct me if I'm wrong too, but I strongly suspect that his co-defendents (who received lighter sentences?), weren't responsible for the decapitation of, dismembering of & storage of the head of the corpse in their fridges......Did he perhaps discover anarachism (& it would seem redemption), during his sentence? I'm quite interested in the abuse that is being meted out to anyone daring to ask about this. As anarchists are we saying that he shouldn't have been locked away for what on the face of it seems somewhat of an murdererously premediated over-reaction to a tiff during a card game?

Justice

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pathetic comments

23.08.2011 19:38

First off, strength to John Bowden, prison resister and fighter....
second, ALL YOU FUCKING MUPPETS HAVING A GO FROM BEHIND YOUR KEYBOARD -- you are a fucking disgrace. I hope none of you actually call yourselfs anarchists, but phony liberal "anarchists" who chat like your chatting are why "the movement" in this country is a bad joke. seriously sort your shit out or fuck off to "grow up and get disillusioned", cash in on your top education + become a Guardian reading professional. it is sad this reaction can be expected from the scum of the UK anarchist movement.

Anarchist

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Jog on

23.08.2011 22:31

What you are "Justice" (sic.) is worthless trolling scum. John Bowden is worth ten of you.

@narcho

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Justice? Anarchist?

24.08.2011 02:31

"As anarchists are we saying that he shouldn't have been locked away for what on the face of it seems somewhat of an murdererously premediated over-reaction to a tiff during a card game?"

As anarchists are 'we' saying 'we' support states, cops and prisons?

trollachist

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jonny boy

24.08.2011 22:06

>> What you are "Justice" (sic.) is worthless trolling scum. John Bowden is worth ten of you.

The only thing John Bowden is worth is 10 waste of spaces.
John Bowden is nothing. Any one of us could take on 10 John Bowden's with our eyes closed.


>> As anarchists are 'we' saying 'we' support states, cops and prisons?

Yes, anarchism still supports the use of prisons.
We still need somewhere to put the violent criminals so that the public is protected.

ed

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Oh ed

24.08.2011 23:08

What a pathetic gobshite. It's obvious from your innate lack of solidarity that were you to face a year inside (as opposed to 30) you'd grass up everyone you know and do whatever the state asked of you. Don't claim to speak for anarchism when you clearly don't know anymore about that than you do about John Bowden.

Old lag

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Daddy, can I have an internet forum?

24.08.2011 23:18

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372924/Civil-servant-son-Blair-aide-dubbed-Captain-Anarchy-unmasked-organiser-cuts-protest-mayhem.html

Old lag

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old fag

27.08.2011 10:21

What a pathetic gobshite. It's obvious from your innate lack of solidarity that were you to face a year inside (as opposed to 30) you'd grass up everyone you know and do whatever the state asked of you. Don't claim to speak for anarchism when you clearly don't know anymore about that than you do about John Bowden.
Old lag


> What a pathetic gobshite.
Good start. "old lag" probably means you are an ex-criminal. So hardly the kind of person who can go around judging others. He who casts the first stone and all that.....

> It's obvious from your innate lack of solidarity
Yes - i have an innate lack of solidarity with murderers who lure people to their death and chop them up when they are still alive. Call me weird - but thats just the way i am.

> that were you to face a year inside (as opposed to 30) you'd grass up everyone you know and do whatever the state asked of you.
I wouldn't have to face a year inside because i'm not a scumbag. Spending your whole measure of life of doing the opposite of what the state wants is pretty sad to be honest. Why not just work towards bettering your own life rather than making a mission of trying to just be a pain in the arse? You are not impressing anyone with your 'i'm an old lag hardman' image.

> Don't claim to speak for anarchism when you clearly don't know anymore about that than you do about John Bowden.
Listen - just because people arn't murders doesn't mean they can't be anarchists.
John Bowden only got into it after he got caught and banged up. Was just desparate for someone to listen to him and went for the weakest audience.

anon

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My name is Jack and I am ....

27.08.2011 10:49

A loser.




Captain Anarchy

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