Rape victim fights to keep attacker in jail
RAPE victim Helen Stockford is continuing her fight to keep the convicted murderer who brutalised her behind bars for the rest of his life.
Mrs Stockford, 41, was angry that the Crown Prosecution Service did not consider Mark Shirley's minimum nine-year jail term to be too short, and says it wasn't made clear to her that she had just 28 days to appeal for a longer sentence.
She has now expressed her concerns in person to Barry Hughes, chief crown prosecutor for Avon and Somerset.
Mr Hughes said the CPS did not believe the sentence to be too lenient, but has consented to refer his observations about her case to the Attorney General's Office and Head of CID in Bristol to try to better inform crime victims who are unhappy about sentences.
She said: "I definitely want to see better communication between victims and the CPS."
Mrs Stockford is doing everything she can to ensure Shirley – described by the judge who sentenced him as "a highly dangerous and evil man" – stays in prison forever.
She is prepared to take her campaign to the European Court of Human Rights.
In December last year Shirley was told he would serve six indeterminate life sentences, with a minimum of nine years in prison before being eligible for parole, after being convicted of sexually brutalising Mrs Stockford.
Shirley was convicted of attacking the mother-of-five in an incident which echoed the ritualised rape and murder of 67-year-old widow Mary Wainwright in Cardiff, for which he was jailed for life in 1987.
Bristol Crown Court heard that, having been released, recalled to prison twice and then let out again, he performed a copycat attack on Mrs Stockford in March last year.
Her three-hour ordeal only came to a stop when her son, aged 19 at the time, returned home.
Shirley, 39, who was living in Richmond Road, Easton, was found guilty of false imprisonment, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, rape and three charges of assault by penetration.
Mrs Stockford, of Southmead, waived her right to anonymity as a rape victim to speak to the Evening Post about her ordeal.
She has always questioned why Shirley was allowed out on licence after he murdered Mrs Wainwright.
Having missed any chance to try to lengthen his jail term, Mrs Stockford said: "It's like they've taken all my rights away and it's made me feel really upset and angry. To think I've gone through everything I've gone through and now I'm terrified of him coming out and doing it to someone else. I should have been given the right of appeal to keep him inside. It will be tough but I've got to keep fighting."
A CPS spokesman said: "We have met with Mrs Stockford and we have written to her to keep her fully up to date with any matters concerning her case.
"We are passing on all her feedback to the appropriate authorities."
4 Comments
by Andrew Jones, Liverpool
Monday, July 26 2010, 12:50PM
“We are behind Helen all the way, we will fight with her to get proper justice. I am part of a group in Liverpool called 'families fighting for justice'.
In September Helen is joining us on a march and rally in London. We are fighting for tougher sentences for murder and manslaughter. Anyone from the Bristol area who wants to back Helen are more than welcome to join us.
Pease look on the website for details.
www.familiesfightingforjustice.com”
by Laura, bristol
Sunday, July 25 2010, 9:59PM
“It makes me sick .... Its called a life sentence for a reason... and even then life is only 25 years so why cant they at least stick to that!. And after commiting the offence for a second time, whose to say he wasnt going to kill this poor lady too... the man should be put it a room, maximum sixe of 3ft square and fed something like a potato a day for the rest of his life, just to make sure he stays alive as long as possible to suffer.
My heart goes out to the poor victims x”
by Joe, Bristol
Saturday, July 24 2010, 5:31PM
“I wish this lady best of luck. But sadly the British legal system is run to help the criminals and throw two fingers straight up at the victims, and as such the decent folk of the land will continue to suffer whilst the yob element run free and bent lawyers stuff their pockets with their dishonest gains.
Not that I'm at all a cynic or fed up with this sink hole of a country”
by Gashead, Gloucester
Saturday, July 24 2010, 12:23PM
“What is a life sentence ? Seems it meant nothing to this animal, those that sadistically kill, and rape, destroy lives, should be given the death penalty. But no someone in the government, decides to go against the majority of it's electorates, to allow, a life sentence, allowing these animals a second chance, to be released too go out and kill and rape again. I used to think the government was there to protect it's citizens, but with the law as it is, i can't see it doing that ! Stop protecting murderers and rapists ! Give the people a referendum on the death penalty, what are you afraid of ?”