John Kamara spent the best part of 20 years fighting to prove his
innocence in the murder of John Suffield, a betting shop manager.
It was a terrible crime where John Suffield, who had a stutter, was
tortured to death in his workplace. It's probable that the robbers wanted
the safe combination, and John Suffield was unable to say it because of
his speech impairment. John Suffield's parents fully believe that John Kamara
played no part in the murder of their son and were at John Kamara's appeal
in the High Court three years ago where his sentence was finally quashed.
When he was released he had nowhere to go and got no sort of help in
re-adjusting to the world that had moved on since the first day of his wrongful
imprisonment. Friends that supported him from the outside stepped in and helped
him as the Home Office offered no help at all. He was homeless and penniless.
His parents had died when he was in Prison and John Kamara had to learn a
whole new way of life. When he was sentenced, pound notes were still in
circulation, and even the weight of metal cutlery felt strange after years
of plastic cutlery. Food was unbearably rich compared to Prison fare and
choices in shops and Supermarkets were strange and overwhelming. John has
settled now in London with his girlfriend and their child, William,
a bright boy just over a year old. He is still waiting for his compensation
to be decided.
Below is an interview conducted over the internet between Kirkby Times
and John Kamara. KT= Kirkby times, JK= John Kamara.
KT: How long had you lived in Liverpool?
JK: All my life. Liverpool 1, Liverpool 8 and Speke.
KT: Did you have any history of being in trouble?
JK: Yeah, from the age of about 16. Petty theft, TDA, that sort of
thing. And one robbery when I was 23. I got caught because I left my name
and address there. I didn't go there to rob, I went there to pull the bird!
But I needed some money to take her out. Fu**ing expensive it turned out
taking her out!
KT: Did you believe some of the police were openly racist /corrupt back then?
JK: Back then, yeah. A lot of people think I got arrested after the
riots, but I got arrested before the riots for the Betting Shop murder of
John Suffield. Racism wasn't really to do with it, though. The man, who did
the murder, Ray Gilbert, gave the police my name, because I'd slept with his
girlfriend.
KT: What do you remember of the events/arrest/interviews/interrogation
by presumably Merseyside police officers?
JK: I remember getting arrested on the 16th march 1981. I was arrested
in a loft. The old loft! Usually back then, if there was a cry of "Police!" you
were either out the back door or up in the loft. I chose the loft, the place
with no way out! They were up on the landing and my mum was saying "He's not
here." I jumped down between about four or five officers and I said "Is there
any tea on the go?" Then I was taken downstairs, the house was full of police,
and surrounded, and the road cordoned off and there was searchlights on the
house. I said like, "All this for a fucking burglary?" I thought I was wanted
for a burglary. They just said "It's more serious than burglary."
When I got to Admiral Street, they told me that they had arrested someone for the
Lodge Lane Betting shop murder. and that the person said I was with them. I was saying
"I can't believe it.", and they said "Do you know Ray Gilbert?". They told me he had
confessed and said I was there and showed me his statement. I just sort of went into
one then. When they charged me I thought the truth would all come out in court, and
they just told me, "We rule the courts and you're going away for life."
KT: What were your feelings as the Judge passed sentence?
JK: I couldn't believe it, especially after Ray Gilbert sent a
letter to the judge saying I was innocent, and naming the people who
were with him, and they still found me guilty. I knew then the judge
was as corrupt as the police.
KT: How did you cope in prison, and how many people believed you
when you said you were innocent. How did you pursue your case behind bars,
did anyone help?
JK: I wouldn't work in prison. I was like 16 years in solitary,
on and off; I usually just had two to three weeks up on the wing just to
show people I was still kicking. Prisoners helped me as much as they could
with stamps, phonecards and I had some good mates in there too. I wrote over
337,000 letters when I was inside. Mostly to MPs, a couple of MPs, and a
couple of Judges helped me, the Liverpool MPs helped me a lot. The older
ones kept dying though. It was like, you get a letter from Kamara and you'll
die in six months! Eric Heffer, Terry Fields, Bob Parry, Louise Ellman,
Edward Heath, Tony Benn, Geoffrey Robinson, and numerous others helped.
There was a really good prison Officer in Parkhurst, Mr Smout. He helped
me a lot. Also the solicitor who helped me win my case, Susannah Arthur
was great too.
KT: How did you feel when you knew you were finally going to be released,
when was that moment when you actually knew you were going to be free?
JK: I didn't know. The case was down to be a week, we were halfway
through the third day, and there was a question about where the Bagwash
(Ed: laundrette) was, which one it was that was mentioned [in some of the
201 previously suppressed witness statements]. At that point the Judges
went out for a reccess and we were all looking at maps, arguing about
which Bagwash was being talked about. The bloke from the Liverpool Echo
was saying, his Mum lived next door and it was in Parliament Street,
top end. We were all still working the maps out. The Judges came back
in. My Barrister jumped up and the Judges said, "Sit down and listen to
what we have to say." They said "Appeal granted conviction unsafe and
unsatisfactory. Immediate release." I said to one of the security
women in the dock, "What about the maps?" and she said "F**k the maps,
you're going home." Then she got on the phone to the cells downstairs,
"Kamara to be released." I was taken back down....Then my solicitor
came down with a bottle of Cava from Mrs M, a woman who wrote to me
when I was inside. I gave it to the two women guards because they'd
been great. There was a really long wait in the cells because the
Prison Governor couldn't be found to sign the official release form.
Then I was given a travel warrant back to Liverpool which expired
shortly afterwards and a £46 pond giro. Later I found out that I
should've got a double header so they even ripped me off on the giro!
KT: How did you feel in the first 24 hours of freedom?
JK: Shell shocked. It didn't hit me till I went for a long walk in the
park that night. There were loads of people and a camera crew in the flat
where I was staying and it was all a bit much really. I used to spend a lot
of time phoning my friend, Mrs M, from the phone box in the park in the
middle of the night.
KT: Given your experience of prisons for the past two decades or so, have
you seen many people being rehabilitated by the prison system?
No, but I can only really see it from my side really, fighting my case.
I just focused on one thing, proving my innocence.
I am still fighting for aftercare provision for Miscarriages of Justice,
with Life After Life, my organisation set up to help Miscarriages of
Justice cope after release. Something's being set up now. The Citizens
Advice Bureau is doing it. I'm an advisor regarding Miscarriages of
Justice for them. We [miscarriages of justice victims] won the court
case about paying board and lodgings back out of our compo for the
time spent in prison. The Home Office appealed and that's to be heard
in December. I was told the Home Office will lose. They're up in court
because they want to take money out of our compensation, for any previous
convictions. That's to be heard in December as well. They lose one thing,
and they hit us for another. If they lose that what else are they going
to hit us with? Most likely the court costs! I've got a kid now, William
(basher!). I'm not married yet; I want William to be best man!
End of interview.
Ed: Thanks to John for his honest and no nonsense answers, I'm sure
people will wish him well after all those wasted years inside. It
is a disgrace that the authorities have not settled John's compensation.
As John says "They lose one thing, and they hit us for another" - it's
almost as if the powers that be begrudge having to admit they were wrong.
Sadly there are many other prisoners who are currently serving time for
crimes they did not commit. John's case is remarkable in as much as he wrote
a hell of a lot of letters to try to persuade people of his innocence.
Obviously John had help outside but it took years to build this support
and interest up. He tells us "I was like 16 years in solitary, on and off"
Can you imagine that? He seems almost casual about the fact.
We wish the best of luck to John's organisation and it would make
absolute sense to make sure other ex prisoners are the people
involved in the actual running of such an organisation as Life
after Life. We also send good wishes from scouse land to little
Basher! Alright Kidda!
Thanks to 'Mrs M' for giving Kirkby Times and John the opportunity to
carry out this 'interview' over the internet.
Back to top
