Billy Byrne suffers horrendous abuse as a boy but he never uses this as an excuse for going into a life of petty crime at a young age. He looks upon the world as an us against them place, with them being the police and establishment in general. His first taste of prison comes when he reaches an age when he can take revenge on his abuser. Unfortunately the police intervene and Billy attacks them (he never claims to have been be sensible). This costs him nine months in prison.
Soon after his release he's persuaded by a local villain to burgle what they both think is an empty house. But the house isn't empty. An elderly woman lives there and is attacked and murdered by Billy's crony. Billy swears he knows nothing about this as the attack happens very quickly and in relative silence when Billy is on the floor below. When they leave the house his crony fails to tell him that they've left a dead woman in there.
Had he known this, Billy is certainly street smart enough to have got rid of the murder weapon - a hammer, which is found in his mother's cellar, left there by his accomplice. In fact Billy is street smart enough to have left the country instead of being at home in bed when the police call. There's no forensic evidence to suggest that Billy has been anywhere near the murder room, no footprints in the dust, no fingerprints, nothing. In fact, at first his accomplice admits to having done the crime on his own, but this doesn't satisfy the police who feel it their duty to get the Billy Byrnes of this world off the streets and it doesn't matter how. With the promise of a lighter sentence his crony is "persuaded" to change his mind and involve Billy in the murder.
Both are given life but only his crony pleads guilty. This leaves Billy classified as IDOM...In Denial Of Murder...the worst classification for a convicted man. It means that he won't get parole until he admits his crime and expresses remorse. Many men, imprisoned for murders they didn't commit go down this road, plead guilty and express deep remorse at their very first parole hearing to try for early release. Billy can never bring himself to admit to such a vile crime...murdering an old woman. His crony is released after 11 years, Billy serves 25 and is out on life licence, which means he can be banged up again if he so much as farts on public transport, and it's that 25 years that this book is largely about.
He tells of his time in various prisons where he meets many notorious inmates such as the Birmingham Six, The Guildford Four (including Gerry Conlon), all innocent men; Stefan Kiszko (wrongly accused of the Lesley Molseed murder) , the Hickey brothers, (wrongly accused of the Carl Bridgewater murder). Plus guilty men such as Charles Bronson, Robert (Hannibal Lecter) Maudsley and many others. He tells of prison riots, gross injustices done to him and others, plus a lot of stuff he gets away with.
During his incarceration Billy officially spends time inside 15 of Britain's prisons but, including all his temporary "ghostings" , he's locked up in over 40 prisons at some time or other.
Such is life...
Genre: Mystery
Soon after his release he's persuaded by a local villain to burgle what they both think is an empty house. But the house isn't empty. An elderly woman lives there and is attacked and murdered by Billy's crony. Billy swears he knows nothing about this as the attack happens very quickly and in relative silence when Billy is on the floor below. When they leave the house his crony fails to tell him that they've left a dead woman in there.
Had he known this, Billy is certainly street smart enough to have got rid of the murder weapon - a hammer, which is found in his mother's cellar, left there by his accomplice. In fact Billy is street smart enough to have left the country instead of being at home in bed when the police call. There's no forensic evidence to suggest that Billy has been anywhere near the murder room, no footprints in the dust, no fingerprints, nothing. In fact, at first his accomplice admits to having done the crime on his own, but this doesn't satisfy the police who feel it their duty to get the Billy Byrnes of this world off the streets and it doesn't matter how. With the promise of a lighter sentence his crony is "persuaded" to change his mind and involve Billy in the murder.
Both are given life but only his crony pleads guilty. This leaves Billy classified as IDOM...In Denial Of Murder...the worst classification for a convicted man. It means that he won't get parole until he admits his crime and expresses remorse. Many men, imprisoned for murders they didn't commit go down this road, plead guilty and express deep remorse at their very first parole hearing to try for early release. Billy can never bring himself to admit to such a vile crime...murdering an old woman. His crony is released after 11 years, Billy serves 25 and is out on life licence, which means he can be banged up again if he so much as farts on public transport, and it's that 25 years that this book is largely about.
He tells of his time in various prisons where he meets many notorious inmates such as the Birmingham Six, The Guildford Four (including Gerry Conlon), all innocent men; Stefan Kiszko (wrongly accused of the Lesley Molseed murder) , the Hickey brothers, (wrongly accused of the Carl Bridgewater murder). Plus guilty men such as Charles Bronson, Robert (Hannibal Lecter) Maudsley and many others. He tells of prison riots, gross injustices done to him and others, plus a lot of stuff he gets away with.
During his incarceration Billy officially spends time inside 15 of Britain's prisons but, including all his temporary "ghostings" , he's locked up in over 40 prisons at some time or other.
Such is life...
Genre: Mystery
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