Ronnie Biggs granted compasionate release

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Britain's notorious "Great Train Robber" was released from his prison sentence Thursday as the nearly 80-year-old lay close to death in a hospital bed.

Britain's Justice Secretary Jack Straw said he decided to release Ronnie Biggs on compassionate grounds, after he fell seriously ill this week in his cell at Norwich Prison, 118 miles northeast of London.

The prison officers watching him at the Norwich and Norfolk Hospital will remain overnight, and leave tomorrow, once the paperwork for his release is complete, Straw said. Biggs turns 80 on Saturday.

Biggs was part of a gang that robbed a Glasgow-to-London mail train in August 1963, in what was called the "heist of the century." The robbery netted 2.6 million pounds — worth more than $50 million today.

Most of the gang was soon rounded up. Biggs was sentenced to 30 years in jail but escaped from prison in 1965 by climbing over a wall. He fled to Brazil, where he made a living from his notoriety, regaling journalists and tourists with stories of his exploits and even recording with punk band The Sex Pistols.

In 2001, he voluntarily returned to Britain, surrendered to police and was sent back to jail. He was locked up in Belmarsh high-security prison in London on his return before being moved to a specialist medical unit at Norwich prison

Bedridden and 'not expected to improve'
He has suffered a series of strokes and a broken hip, and is being treated for pneumonia. He snow bedridden, fed through a tube, and barely able to communicate.

His lawyers sought to have him released, arguing that his age and severe health problems mean he is no longer a threat.

He became eligible for parole last month after he served a total of 10 years of his 30-year sentence, but Straw overruled a parole board recommendation that Biggs be freed, saying that he was "wholly unrepentant" about his crimes.

Straw said that Biggs' condition changed his mind.

"The medical evidence clearly shows that Mr. Biggs is very ill and that his condition has deteriorated recently, culminating in his readmission to hospital. His condition is not expected to improve," Straw said in a statement. "It is for that reason that I am granting Mr. Biggs compassionate release on medical grounds."

Straw said Biggs must now live at an approved address and cannot travel abroad without approval from British authorities.

Funny how an unrepentant criminal has gained so much respect throughout the world.

His life is a fascinating story though

Why do you think that he's held in such high regard?

dr.bollocko

compASSionate relief.

SoWatchaWant

Well, he stole money from a faceless organisation, and people swoon over that type of person. There are other examples!

Heisenberg.

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dr.bollocko wrote: »

compASSionate relief.

ah shit

vorbis

In fairness, its not like its going to do him much good. I don't think his lifestyle is going to change given the condition he's in.

sdanseo

It's not like he raped anyone (although didnt some guy die from a heart attack or some such?) - he's hardly likely to reoffend. Surely that's what prison is about; ensuring this?

The man should have been released years ago.

galwayrush

A lot of people involved in robbery that leads to murder spend time in jail and are released after (and rightfully so,) the best years of their lives have passed, Biggs, spend the best years of his life having a good time and only came home when he was quite old to apparently finally face the music , more likely because he was broke and in ill health and of course he could get the help he needed in prison in the UK.

Whosbetter?

Bigg deal.:rolleyes:

jumpguy

dr.bollocko wrote: »

compASSionate relief.

Hehe you said ass.

Sharpshooter

No, he typed it.

galwayrush

Sharpshooter wrote: »

No, he typed it.

Yep, he's a typing type of guy.:D

stovelid

The last half of his sentence was for his work with the Sex Pistols.

heinrichaussler

I blame Phil Collins.

Groovy kind of love, my ass.

Whosbetter?

heinrichaussler wrote: »

Groovy kind of love, my ass.

Dangerous comment there.:pac:

admiralofthefleet

wouldnt it be funny if he kicked the bucket before he gets out

procure11

About time tbh...considering there is no realistic chance of him enjoying his booty now:p

galwayrush

heinrichaussler wrote: »

I blame Phil Collins.

Groovy kind of love, my ass.

Now i know what the song that goes ' Get............. into the groove' is all about.:eek:

galwayrush

procure11 wrote: »

About time tbh...considering there is no realistic chance of him enjoying his booty now:p

He would never have come home if he still had his booty.;)

Fugly

He's an unrepentant criminal, who made a mockery of the entire judicial system and suddenly because he aged he's a 'good guy', hell he only returned for free medical care.

Age does not and should not void punishment. He commited a crime, was,and still is unrependant, never apologised to the driver, who suffered greatly after the robbery was never the same and died a broked man, but bless I mean Biggs only spent the best part of his life enjoying the high life, and now he's old and poor. :rolleyes::rolleyes: Of course he's the victim! :rolleyes:

As the parole board pointed out, if he'd taked responsibilty for his crimes and served his time, he'd have enjoyed his last years with his family. He created a situation where he could die in prison, let the bastard rot, Hopefully he'll die before the release forms are signed tomorrow. :mad:

Rented Mule

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

wouldnt it be funny if he kicked the bucket before he gets out

Yes....because I have him in my dead pool this year.

procure11

galwayrush wrote: »

He would never have come home if he still had his booty.;)

Well ...neither yourself nor me can effectively come to such conclusions...considering his son Micheal has a very lavish lifestyle and can afford very expensive lawyers....you can never tell.

junkyard

I think he just worked the system.........robbed from it..........lived it up..........and now being cared for by it........clever man.
The rest of us fools spend our lives working our @sses off, get screwed by taxes at every turn, wear ourselves out in the process and then our government screw us on health care when we really need it after paying through the nose for it all our life.

Run_to_da_hills

Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs is preparing for his formal release from prison after being granted freedom on compassionate grounds.

He should have stayed in prison because he will more than likely be hit with crippling private nursing home fees :eek:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/8188898.stm

Mossy Monk

He should have been left to rot.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

What would you give to have it turn out he was faking it and he escaped again?

Homer

All this news about Great Train Robber Ronnie biggs makes me laugh...

He tried to rob a train once, and got caught once...

That's hardly 'Great', is it? It's not even feckin Good!

Terry

Funny how they always tend to keep the high profile criminals in for a long time, yet others guilty of far worse crimes are let out after a couple of years.

Dickens nailed it 170 years ago.
The law truly is an ass.

Run_to_da_hills

Homer wrote: »

All this news about Great Train Robber Ronnie biggs makes me laugh...

He tried to rob a train once, and got caught once...

That's hardly 'Great', is it? It's not even feckin Good!

But he escaped once and lived the life of Reilly for over 30 Years. :P

Fratton Fred

I don't think he has actually spent that much time in jail has he?

Not considering they beat the crap out of the train driver on what was a very violent robbery.

Run_to_da_hills

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I don't think he has actually spent that much time in jail has he?

Not considering they beat the crap out of the train driver on what was a very violent robbery.

Probably spent about 10 years in all, a few years before he escaped in 1965 and the 8 years since he returned in 2001.

ejmaztec

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs is preparing for his formal release from prison after being granted freedom on compassionate grounds.

He should have stayed in prison because he will more than likely be hit with crippling private nursing home fees :eek:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/8188898.stm

Train-robber robbers!

--Kaiser--

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I don't think he has actually spent that much time in jail has he?

Not considering they beat the crap out of the train driver on what was a very violent robbery.

Has to be said, the man suffered pain for the rest of his life because of it, despite that Ronnie Biggs is a sort of Robin Hood figure for some reason

Pace2008

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I don't think he has actually spent that much time in jail has he?

Not considering they beat the crap out of the train driver on what was a very violent robbery.

Given enough time, even violent criminals will end up being painted as loveable rogues. Look at the way Martin Cahill was depicted in The General.

amacachi

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Has to be said, the man suffered pain for the rest of his life because of it, despite that Ronnie Biggs is a sort of Robin Hood figure for some reason

Yeah, I don't recall Robin Hood or his merry band battering a train driver with a metal bar.


**** Ronnie Biggs and the rest of them tbh, greedy thugs and nothing else.

Love2love

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

What would you give to have it turn out he was faking it and he escaped again?

Wouldn't surprise me. Didn't one of the Cray's do that? Got out because he was terminally ill and then made a full recovery?

brummytom

I don't really see the problem tbph.. He had a minor role by all accounts - didn't even go near the train.
When you look at people being given a few years for murder, it's surprising so many people feel so strongly that he should remain in prison.

Mossy Monk

brummytom wrote: »

I don't really see the problem tbph.. He had a minor role by all accounts - didn't even go near the train.
When you look at people being given a few years for murder, it's surprising so many people feel so strongly that he should remain in prison.

He has no remorse for anything about the robbery so he should not be released.