We first met In 2014 I was in the parked in the parking area of my friends flat in Tile Hill, I was about to head home when a young lady came up to me and asked if I knew anyone with a van who could get some things for her she had just moved up to Coventry, she had come up from Luton to stay with her boyfriend and she needed her things which were in storage, her boyfriend didn’t seem to be helping, at first I said no and then as she walked away, I called her and asked if her stuff would fit in my mpv with the seats out, and she said yes, so I told her that I would do it for her I didn’t mind going to Luton and so we arranged a time for me to pick her up.
I picked her up in the morning and off to Luton it was a nice run, we chatted as if we knew each other for years it was very enjoyable, we got her stuff from storage and then went to her sisters where she also had some items in the loft, she told me she had furniture in another storage which she had from her home, that would be a job for another day because she would need a hire van. She had been living in Bermuda for nineteen years before coming back to Luton, she had met this guy from Coventry on the internet, so never knew him that well, he had been down to see her and persuaded her to move in with him, I knew the guy in passing because he lived in the same flats as my friends I had spoken to him on several occasions but I never knew him personally.
Her sister and partner were very concerned they had met him and didn’t like him, they asked me questions about him, I said that I did not know that much about him and that he seemed okay to me, they were afraid she was jumping in the fire and didn’t want her to go. We sat outside and I spent a good few hours with them, getting to know each other, they were good people and she was a good woman, they asked me to promise them that I would look out for her, and I gave them my promise that I would.
I had become her only friend in Coventry, we arrived back in Coventry and got her unloaded he came down to get some of her things, it wasn’t long before she contacted me and we met up, things were going bad for her, he was becoming abusive and using drugs, I had a chat with my friends who lived in the same building they told me that the police had been called to him before concerning a woman living with him, he was known for abusing a women, this was not good news and made me more concerned.
I knew her sister was right she had made a big mistake; I advised her to go back to Luton, there was nothing here for her in Coventry at least she knew people, she had family and friends there, she had job interviews and didn’t want to go running back to Luton, I understood where she was coming from, she was proud, I only wish I had known his past before.
Things went further downhill when he took the landline out, and told her not to go out and that he had friends watching so he would know if she left the flat it got to the stage he was isolating her and breaking her spirit, she had no money no phone credit, she was able to inform me of what he was doing, I went and took her out of there. I believed her to be in danger; she was being isolated so I acted.
She was no longer the bright cheerful girl I had first met, and so I gave her my bedroom and I slept on the sofa, I made sure that she contacted the necessary support organisations, I photographed the bruises plus she was examined by her doctor who gave her a letter of support, the Haven women’s refuge centre were happy for her to stay with me, because there was space anywhere else, I took her to counselling, she needed help and support.
She was not the cheerful person I first met, she had no money due to her situation and she was interested in running and kick boxing, so I brought her some tennis shoes, my nephew had a punch bag and agreed to lend it me plus he had a pair of boxing gloves, I hung the punch bag up in the garden, I had her running and kick boxing, I was building her confidence up her self-esteem was so low, I also took her to job interviews, she was gaining self-worth.
I also took her out to show her the City, I took her to open mic and several other places, I was out one day in Earlsdon when I got a call from the police officer who came to see me every now and then, this had been a requirement due to the State of Texas.
The officer told me she had been to visit me and a woman answered the door and wanted to know who she was, I explained the situation and she was not happy about it I told her the woman was 48yrs old and it was up to me who I have staying, however she wanted to come and visit me and the lady, so I set a date for the next day.
The next morning the officer and her colleague arrived they spoke with me first and asked me if I had told my friend about my past? I said no. She then asked to talk to my friend alone which she did and then after sometime she called me into the room and told me to tell her about myself and so I told her I did nine years in the Texas Penitentiary then the officer said to me tell her the details, and I said “I don’t know the details” to which she said “I do I have them right here but I need to get authority in order to reveal them” she told my friend to go into a shelter and she would arrange it, then she left.
The metropolitan police told me in 2006 when I arrived in the UK to put it all behind me and to get on with my life, however it was not behind me and it never will be for as long as I live, I always do tell people after I get to know them but I don’t shout it out to everyone I meet, hi I’m from the Penn, were talking about 1997 17years ago whatever happened to getting on with one’s life? I had also written my book in 2007, I was not being deceitful I was in the public domain, needless to say that I was gutted and humiliated, my friend said to me I don’t care what anyone says about you I judge as I find and I want to stay here, how can the police do that? I gave her a copy of my book so she could read it all.
The next day she got a call from the Haven they had a place for her and she would no longer be supported while staying with me, this meant she would never have her own place, she had come on so well and now I had to tell her to go, she never wanted to leave but I said you will never get help or have a place of your own if you stay with me. I took her to the Haven she looked back at me so sad, I was gutted but she had no hope with me the system made sure of that.
We kept in touch and I would pick her up at an undisclosed place because her accommodation was secret, we would go for a drink, she told me that she was being questioned about me by her case worker they had told her “we don’t think you should see that man” she had to lie about meeting me for fear of reprisals from the staff, she also told me they had been telling her things about me, but she would not say what was being said but it was obvious it was the police who had revealed things to them.
No-one had a problem with me before the police who had obviously told them things about me, they had been happy for her to stay at my place but now people were being frightened away from me, but to her I was still her protector.
(This seemed to be a repeat of the person needing my help earlier, she told me that things were being said to her about me but would not reveal what was said or by who).
I was her only friend and I had a promise to keep, she needed to meet and make new friends, she needed girl time with other women and she knew that and I supported her in that I would involve her with girl groups and then I would gradually drift to the background, she noticed and said to me you will always be my friend and welcome in my company, she needed friends but it’s the right type of friends, her drinking was increasing dramatically, they were having bottles of wine where she was staying I couldn’t be there all the time and she was going downhill she was drinking heavy, I knew she liked her drink before but she was getting really bad, she had drinks with the other women and I could see the change it was having and it wasn’t good.
She was finally offered a flat in Styvechale. Styvechale is a desired location in Coventry but not the part she was given, it was not suitable for her, she was far away from anything, she was a very good looking woman in a block of flats with mainly men, stuck out in the boonies, and when I took her to see the flat we were both shocked, she burst into tears, I could not believe that whitefriars housing would rent a flat out in the condition it was in.
I gave my view to the person showing it and she offered to give an allowance for decorating for one room and I said come-on the whole place needs doing, she would only concede another room, my friend knew if she turned it down what the consequences would be, I wanted her to go back to Luton she had no life in Coventry.
She was determined to stick it out in Coventry and so I told her that I would turn her flat into a palace, and not to cry, I could change her flat but not the location.
She accepted the flat but stayed at mine, it was not fit to move into in my opinion or hers, I had a lot of work to do, so I asked her what she wanted it to be like, I had been a property maintenance supervisor in Texas.
It was a roomy flat and had good potential, I started to work on it, I laminated the flooring throughout the lounge hallway and bedroom, put a new bathroom sink with a Victorian twist, painted throughout and wallpapered the featured wall in the living room, did alterations in the bathroom and took out some obsolete box frame that should never be there, and papered the kitchen and bathroom, made an archway from the hall to the living room, built in the boiler which was it the living room with some nice doors, she loved it, I had totally changed it into a home.
Her furniture was in storage in Luton I enlisted the help of my nephew and we hired a large van and we all went down and got her furniture and we moved her in, she now had a furnished home, there was one more thing she had pawned her jewellery here in Coventry and I went and got it back and gave it to her, I couldn’t change the location she had a lovely home but she was still stuck in isolation.
I had tried to interest her in communities, she felt isolated, I met her sister and partner a few times I had been down to Luton for New Years, and when they came up to Birmingham, they were so thankful to me for taking care of her they knew I advised her to return to Luton but so had they but she insisted on remaining and making a go of it in Coventry.
She ended up meeting a guy which I was pleased about because this could be the start for her, I had a girlfriend and we met up at a dance but sadly things never worked out with the guy and so she dumped him, sometime after she took ill and the doctor sent her to the Hospital she had jaundice a liver condition, and was in for some months, I gave her my tablet so she could watch movies or go on the internet because in Britain the sick have to pay for TV, even for Freeview.
She would walk down the long hallway pulling her IV with her to go and sit in the chapel, when I went to see her she asked me “Peter, am I going to die” I said “no, but if you continue drinking you will”. It was now a real matter of life or death.
When she was discharged she had a walking stick and was so pitiful and so afraid, I had been in contact with her sister and they did come up and visit, she wanted her to go and live with her so she could look after her, but she wouldn’t go, I also asked her why? She told me her sister would be at work and they would all be busy, she was staying here.
To see her reduced to this was heart breaking, when she came out of hospital I was there for her she wanted a kitten for her birthday because her cat of 20yrs had died, I got her little kitten and she named her Missy she was some company for her and she loved her to bits, but she was still isolated and had guys hitting on her all the time she needed female company.
I took her to AA she needed help with drink and could also meet friends and I warned her about male predators who target AA looking for vulnerable women and to stay with the women, I went to some meetings with her for support and made sure she had met the women, she was also seeing councillors. I had to let her find her own way; by now it is coming 2016, she ignored my advice and was taken in by the charms of a man from AA who had moved in with her, she was now hard to contact she wanted to see me she would call me arrange to meet and not turn up, her text messages were messed up they didn’t make sense as if she was too drunk to write I was seriously concerned.
I still had tools over there because I had built her a wardrobe and so I asked my nephew to take me over there to get my tools I no longer had transport.
She lived on the first floor, I pressed the buzzer but there was no answer, and so we walked around back and there was a guy standing on her patio, I shouted up where’s my friend, and he said who are you and I said I’m Peter and I have come for my tools. I was told to wait a moment he went away for a moment then came back, I could get my tools and he opened the door.
I and my nephew went in I asked where my friend was he said she was in bed that she was not well and didn’t want to be disturbed, we got my table saw from the patio outside and I noticed a glass of red wine sitting on the table he was drinking, I said you’re supposed to be from AA so what are you drinking for? it developed into an argument I wanted to kick his arse down the stairs and go in and get her, but I walked away my nephew said he really thought things were going to kick off, I said I’m going to the police and do this legal.
I was very concerned and told by my girlfriend who told me not to get involved but I knew my friend could die and was denied the help she needed and so I called the officer who came to visit me because she knew me and told her my concerns and that my friend would die if she didn’t get help, she told me that I needed a vulnerable adult order which could only be done by a relative and then the police would go in and remove her from the premises.
I called her sister because she could do it via Luton police and then Coventry would remove her, she told me she had spoken with her boyfriend before and thought he was okay, I told her that he was drinking in there and that he was drinking like a regular drinker not an alcoholic, it was now in the hands of her family, who did nothing.
The ultimate thing happened she was in hospital she was dying; I went to see her and there was a dove outside her door she was conscious and very pleased to see me, her fella was there, I gave her a kiss and held her hand, and her sister and family came in, I did have a private chat with her nephew who I had never met but he had heard all about me and was very grateful for everything I had done.
He did have a question; the hospital had asked him why it had taken so long for her to be brought in, a question he put to me, after my efforts to save her I had contacted her sister with my concerns about loss of contact, she could have been saved with earlier treatment had they of listened to me.
I spoke with her sister and she told me she had spoken with the police officer who had called her from Coventry, I could see she too had been made weary of me and so she did nothing.
The guy had been staying in the flat but had been found out to be deceitful and so her nephew and sisters partner went and told him to leave the flat, he was also denied the right to visit her, I said I would look after Missy my nephew took me to the flat to get her.
I never seen my friend again, I got a call that he passed away, a 50year old woman let down by the system she didn’t have to die.
I revised my book again in 2016; I did so many revisions over the years when what it needed was a new book with the full story, and so I wrote my book The Enemy no-one Believes Exists which is about my life and the run up to prison
People who tell me it’s all in the past can see it is my present and my future, the things that went on in the Penitentiary never ended.