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The Big Breach; From Top Secret to Maximum SecurityCompliments of http://www.192.comClarke muttered something back to me in an unintelligible Jamaicanaccent, checked that the clippers were plugged into the wall, switchedthem on and paused for a moment, studying the buzzing bladesquizzically as if weighing up their potential for robbing banks. Hemuttered some more. Thinking it impolite to ask him to repeat himself Ijust smiled encouragingly. Tentatively, he leant over me and beganclipping the right side of my head but suddenly and painfully, theclippers dug hard into my ear. `Bollocks!' Clarke muttered, taking astep back to recompose himself after the twitch. Bending over, he triedagain. But he was siezed by another twitch. `Shite!' Clarke muttered,as a large clump of hair fell to the ground. Frowning in concentration,he studied the right side of my head, then the left, then the right,and began to trim again.There were no mirrors on the spur so there was no way to checkprogress. Àre you sure you know what you are doing?' I asked politely.Clarke muttered something back and started fiddling with the clipperblades. He looked a bit hurt and I thought it better not to press him.But judging by the ever increasing pile of hair on the floor, he was aquick learner and he finished off with a flourish just as Mr Richardsbellowed the familiar order, `Spur 1, get your dinner.' Clarkehurriedly unplugged the clippers and returned them to Mr Richards asthe spur clamoured into a disorderly queue.Dobson and Onion-head were, as usual, at the back, maximising the timeout of their cells, and I joined them as soon as I had collected myplastic mug and cutlery from my cell. `You look like a bleedin'convict,' Onion-head laughed as he saw my new crop.`Yer daft booger,' added Dobson. `The joodge'll give yer three monthsmore with yer àir like that.'I woke shortly after 5 a.m. the next day, shaved, washed, polished myscalp, dressed and sat on my bed reading until the screws arrived atabout 7 a.m. to escort me to the Old Bailey. Having put in a requestform the previous evening's association, my suit and best shoes werebrought out of storage in reception for me to change into. We left at 9a.m. for the familiar drive across east London to the Old Bailey. Itwas an evil, blustery, overcast day and through the darkened glassporthole of my cubicle it appeared almost night outside. As we werecrossing Tower Bridge in heavy traffic, an elderly man on the pavementstopped in his stride and stared impassively into my porthole. Probablyan ex-con, I thought to myself, reflecting how lucky he was to be onthe outside.The dock in court 13 of the Old Bailey was oddly positioned high abovethe court, like a projectionist's booth in a cinema, giving me apanoramic view of the sentencing judge, Recorder of London Sir LawrenceVerney, his two court assistants, the CPS, my defence team and variouscourt clerks and stenographers. To the right the press gallery waspacked with the usual faces. High up to the left was the publicgallery, also full, and curiously there were two strangers with theirfingers crossed for me. To their right was another smaller gallery,less full. Ratcliffe and Peters were there, so perhaps it was a galleryfor members of the CPS who had been working on the case. Ratcliffe andpage- 187 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version of this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com
The Big Breach; From Top Secret to Maximum SecurityCompliments of http://www.192.comPeters seemed decent on the occasions that we had met and I wondered ifthey really got any satisfaction from prosecuting me. It wasintimidating to be the centre of so much attention and I felt moredistressed than at the other court appearances.The CPS spoke first, arguing that my actions `greatly damaged nationalsecurity', without ever attempting to define `national security' orexplain how it had been harmed. Emotion welled up inside me at thestupidity and injustice of the allegations and I held my head in myhands. Gibbs wanted to bring another expert witness and Verney grantedpermission to take the court temporarily in camera. Redd, former H/MOS,took the stand to bleat that my synopsis had èndangered the lives ofofficers'. Davies spoke well in my defence, pointing out that there wasnothing of substance in the synopsis, that it had not left a lockedfiling cabinet and that my `guilty' plea and cooperation with thepolice deserved consideration. A glance at my wristwatch showed thatthe arguments went on for 53 minutes, until Judge Verney called arecess to consider his verdict. The screws slipped my handcuffs back onto take me down to the dungeons, but I only had to wait in the cell fora few minutes before the door opened and they dragged me back up to thedock.Verney's opening words described the `seriousness of the offence',immediately dashing my hope to be out in time for Christmas. He tookinto account my guilty plea and that it was my first ever offence, butgave no consideration for my cooperation with the police. Ì thereforehave no alternative but to sentence you to 12 months imprisonment,' heannounced gravely. My release date would be 1 May, only four-and-a-halfmonths away on a calendar but a long time in Belmarsh.Davies and Wadham came down to the dungeons to commiserate. `You knowthat you have the right to appeal against the sentence,' Wadhamexplained, ànd you might get a few weeks less.' But I declined theoffer. Wadham and Davies were acting for me pro bono and it would be anabuse of their generosity to ask them to mount an appeal. Ratcliffe andPeters also wanted to see me for more help in decrypting my Psion, butI declined. Judge Verney hadn't given me any consideration for myprevious cooperation, so there was no reason to help them now.Unusually, there was another inmate in the prison van on the way backto Belmarsh. The reason was clear once back on the spur. `Tomlinson,you're off the book,' announced Mr Richards cheerfully. `You'll be onwork as soon as Christmas is over.' The Governor had downgraded mysecurity status from A-cat to B-cat, meaning I could visit the gym morefrequently and people other than immediate family would be able tovisit.For the Christmas break, the prison staff made an effort to bring somespirit to the spur with a small tree and tinsel above Mr Richards'sdesk. On Christmas day, we had a half-hour lie-in and a cookedbreakfast, then all-day association. We were only briefly locked backinto our cells to eat lunch of a chicken leg, roast potatoes andsprouts, Christmas pudding and a real treat of a Cornetto ice-cream. Inthe afternoon the staff arranged a pool tournament (won convincingly byDobson) and then a young female screw whom we had not seen beforeorganised a bingo game with first prize of a œ5 phone card, won byOnion-head with some blatant cheating.page- 188 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version of this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com
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