Otis Ferry a 'political prisoner' says brother
The brother of Otis Ferry has claimed that his sibling is a "political prisoner" who is being poorly treated by other inmates at Gloucester Prison.
Tara Ferry, 18, came to the defence of Ferry, 25, after the countryside campaigner appeared before Gloucester Crown Court for a bail application.
Public school-educated Ferry, who awaits trial for allegedly attacking a hunt monitor while she filmed him at his sport, is set to spend another five months in prison after his barrister withdrew the application at the last moment.
His mother, Lucy Helmore, and supporters including Tara had attended court in the hope that they would be celebrating his release on bail.
But his prolonged remand prompted Tara, who recently visited his brother in prison with their father – Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry – to say he was appalled by the detention.
Tara, a student at Chelsea College of Art and Design, was outside the court on Tuesday morning hoping for a quick word with his brother as he boarded a remand prisoners' van.
Ferry, of Eaton Mascott, near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, appeared in court for the bail application but it was withdrawn without reason by his counsel.
Judge Martin Picton told Ferry, who has spent the past two months on remand at HMP Gloucester, that he would remain in custody until his trial next year.
Dressed in a wax jacket and jeans, Tara said: "He's a political prisoner.
"There are drug dealers and illegal immigrants given bail all the time, but he's kept behind bars."
Tara said Otis kept himself occupied by "writing and reading" in his cell.
"There's really nothing much for him to do," he said.
"He's getting a hard time from some of the other guys in there."
It is alleged Ferry robbed and assaulted the hunt monitor last year as she filmed him on the Heythrop Hunt in Oxfordshire.
He was later accused of approaching a witness to the allegations and subsequently charged with perverting the course of justice.
He was remanded in custody on September 18 and has been behind bars since.
Last week, Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury, the constituency in which the Ferry brothers live, told reporters he believed the joint huntmaster of the South Shropshire Hunt was being punished for storming the House of Commons in protest at the Hunting Bill in 2004.
The Conservative MP said: "I have received a letter from Otis Ferry in prison and I am absolutely convinced he is being kept as a political prisoner.
"Because he tweaked the Government's whiskers by invading the House of Commons and managed to get on the main floor, I am concerned that they are putting political pressure on the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) to keep him in prison."
There will be a plea and case management hearing on December 3.
Ferry will stand trial on March 9.
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by Heather, Brum
Monday, November 01 2010, 6:27PM
“In the end Otis was freed without the case ever coming to court, in hindsight with a new government in power you can see so clearly that Otis and many others from all walks of life and heritage were singled out for abuse by our old crooked labour government, one thing for Ferry, 4 months of being a state hostage could not have been fun, but he was not done for like poor Dr Kelly or butchered like civillians in Iraq, was so that was one blessing in a dark period of British history.”
by Doreen, Suffolk
Sunday, November 16 2008, 6:23PM
“Otis Ferry in in prison due to the serious nature of his offence. Perverting ther course of justice. The comments made by both his brother and MP that he was a political prisoner are ridiculous. Once again it's the hunting brigade who think they are above the law.”
by Chris, Gloucester
Friday, November 14 2008, 11:18AM
“Charles, If being opposed to the assault and battery of middle age women hunt monitors by idiotic violent bog trotters makes me a bigot. See you at the next Jim Davidson show. The Countryside Alliance and its supporters need to understand that just because you don't have many police in the countryside doesn't make you above the law. The fact is the hunting act aside Otis Ferry attacked these women. He then tried to blackmail a witness. He is a bully and a coward.”
by Charles Henry, Somerset
Thursday, November 13 2008, 9:55AM
“'Chris' as always represents the 'voice' of this bigoted Labour Party, that has once more brought this country to it's knees. . . . And another child died in Haringey. . They just don't seem to understand what is important. . . Roll on The Revolution”
by Chris, Gloucester
Wednesday, November 12 2008, 11:11PM
“A political prisoner who assaulted two middle aged women who were monitoring illegal hunting and stole their video camera to take the evidence then tried to bribe a witness... Hes a modern day Che Guevara. Please he is a bully and deserves to do hard time being bullied by someone else.”
by Heather, Midlands
Wednesday, November 12 2008, 6:28PM
“Ok so if Otis is facing all this jail over the named offences how come a neighbour I had two years ago could threaten to bludgeon me to death with a lump hammer and subject my elderly mother and myself to a campaign of violence and yet the police did not want to know for months?
How could drug runners do open trade in broad daylight and nothing was done. How could some in my community openly praise Osama Bin Laden and incite others to do the same or batter their small kids senseless and no one cared? Am I living in the same country as Mr Ferry and as for the woman he supposedly assaulted Helen Ghaulmi, why did no one help me?”
by Heather, Birmingham
Wednesday, November 12 2008, 6:17PM
“Otis is a political prisoner there can be no doubt, yet a cop who was a danger was freed on bail to kill his wife and mother-in-law. How is this so in a just society?”
by Charles Henry, Somerset
Wednesday, November 12 2008, 10:29AM
“It's a pity you are not a shop-lifter Otis. . You could have claimed police harassment, assault and even blamed the shop-keeper for tempting you. . They may have even let you off with warning as long as it wasn't over £1000. . . And if you voted Labour they may have even made you a Lord!”
by Peter Kent, London
Wednesday, November 12 2008, 8:32AM
“Looks the CPS have gone to ground!
Dont let the SOB'S grind you down Otis.
Hunting world with with you.”
by CatC, London
Wednesday, November 12 2008, 12:58AM
“How ridiculous to claim Otis Ferry is a political prisoner, he has been charged with perverting the course of justice and it was the nature of the alleged offence that led the judge to refuse him bail.”