Annie Willson, whose husband Alan suffered horrific brain injuries in a savage attack by three teenage boys, is campaigning for new laws to make it easier to lock up young offenders.
Alan was battered to within an inch of his life by George Tilley, then 13, his brother Archie, 14, and Harry Furlong, 17, in April last year.
The Tilley brothers, who got 12 years after a court heard how they had beaten Alan with a 3ft log, both had previous convictions.
Now Annie is calling for “Alan’s Law”, to ensure a previous offender is considered for a custodial order if they are charged with a second violent offence, meaning they could be more easily remanded in custody.
At present, even where the alleged offending is serious, a child can only be remanded in custody if the court believes it is very likely they would get a custodial sentence.
Annie told The Mirror : “The key element for Alan’s Law is deterrent.
“After what happened, lots of people were coming up to me saying we need an Alan’s Law and that something like this cannot be allowed to happen again.
“There’s a gap in the law when it comes to youth offenders. They generally cannot be remanded in custody. There is very little deterrent.”
She also thinks that, when deemed relevant and appropriate by the judge, juries should know about an accused’s previous convictions.
Annie’s campaign is being backed by her MP Sir Peter Bottomley.
He said: “I am committed to putting the need for the elements of Alan’s Law to the Home Secretary and to the Law Officers when Parliament reassembles. For those at the extreme end of behaviour, it has to stop and the risk [for others] has to be reduced. People preparing pre-sentencing reports should have training that includes knowledge of the circumstances and records of youths such as Alan’s attackers.”
On June 30, Harry Furlong, now 18, was sentenced to 20 months, minus time on remand, for inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.
We revealed last week that he is eligible for release on home arrest at the end of this month.
George and Archie Tilley, now 15 and 16, got 12 years for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.
Archie Tilley had two previous convictions for three offences, while George had five convictions for 18 offences.
He was only 10 at the time of his first recorded offence. All the offences were for violence.
The youths were bailed after their arrest and put in a safe house, believed to be on the south coast.
The boys had attacked care worker Alan after he came to the aid of an 11-year-old boy being bullied over a frisbee row in a park in Worthing, West Sussex.
In her victim impact statement, Annie, 51, said Alan, 47, had catastrophic injuries. She said: “He has no mental capacity, no vision in his left eye and has a massive brain injury from which he will never fully recover.”
She is now Alan’s carer and struggling to survive on Universal Credit.
The family’s claim for Criminal Injury Compensation is still being processed, and Annie has had to pawn her wedding ring, engagement ring and her late father’s prized possessions to stay afloat.
She said: “Nothing is in place for the victim.”
The Ministry of Justice said: “While we paid £153million in Criminal Injuries Compensation to victims last year, in some complex cases we must wait until trials conclude before they are progressed. This is now happening.”
