UK Prisoner Set For Freedom After 20 Years In Jail Over Theft Of A Nokia Phone
A 44-year-old prisoner in the United Kingdom, Leroy Douglas, is set to be released next month after spending two decades behind bars for stealing a friend’s Nokia mobile phone to fund his drug addiction.
Douglas committed the offence in Cardiff in December 2005 and was sentenced to a minimum term of two and a half years. However, he remained in prison long after completing that sentence under the UK’s controversial Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) system.
The system allowed prisoners to remain incarcerated indefinitely after completing their minimum terms if they were considered a continuing risk to the public.
After years of legal battles and repeated efforts to secure his freedom, the parole board recently approved Douglas’s release.
He is expected to leave His Majesty’s Prison Erlestoke for a hostel in October before eventually returning home.
Douglas had a number of other convictions during his time in the justice system, including a five-week sentence for money laundering in 2020. While incarcerated, he completed rehabilitation programmes focused on drug addiction, anger management and victim awareness.
Speaking about his impending release, Douglas said he had never stopped fighting to regain his freedom.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for the past 20 years. I’ve never stopped fighting for my release,” he said.
Douglas argued that his original offence did not involve physical violence and said he believed he should have been released many years ago.
His case comes amid renewed international scrutiny of the UK’s controversial IPP system. The United Nations has criticised the continued detention of prisoners under the system, with a recent legal opinion finding such incarceration arbitrary and unlawful under international law.
The UK government has also faced mounting pressure to address the cases of prisoners who have remained behind bars years after completing their minimum sentences.
After 20 years in custody, Douglas is now only weeks away from finally walking out of prison.