THE mother of a prisoner with inoperable lung cancer is pleading with authorities to release her only son before he dies.
Alison Whewell fears Brett Duxbury, 36, who has six months left on his sentence, won’t live to see his three teenage children and two sisters outside jail.
Alison, of Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, said: "He should be here at home with me – not dying in jail.
"He’s due out on 8 January 2010 and his cancer is never going to go away – they can only try and shrink it. He’s frightened of dying in there and we are scared."
The 54-year-old grandmother, who said she would care for Brett at her one-bedroom flat, said he should be freed, even if he has to be tagged. She recently rekindled her relationship with her son after he told her he had overcome his £280-a-week heroin addiction.
She added: "Surely sense is to bring him home with a tag. I know he’s a prisoner but these are exceptional circumstances, it’s not as though he’s got a broken arm."
After writing to Justice Secretary Jack Straw, Alison was told that Brett was still considered a medium risk to the public after absconding from an open prison in Kirkham last year. The Prison Service admit his illness is likely to be fatal.
The offence added six months on to his five-year sentence for twice burgling the home of an 83-year-old man in Darwen in February and March of 2007. He admitted the offences and said he committed them to buy heroin.
After coughing up blood four months ago, Brett – a former roofer – was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Currently held in Lancaster Castle prison, the former Ridings High School student will today (June 12) undergo his latest bout of chemotherapy.
HM Prison Service has acknowledged Brett‘s condition is likely to be fatal but refused his application for early release because he absconded from an open prison and was still considered physically able to commit further offences.
But Alison said: "During chemotherapy, he has a drip in one hand and is chained to an officer on the other. Afterwards, he can’t stay awake long enough to eat, never mind be a risk to the public. It’s awful and over the top." she added.
Hyndburn MP Greg Pope has since written to the director general of the Prison Service about Brett’s plight.
"He has committed a serious offence but I hope they will at least give consideration to this case," he said. "Understandably, Alison wants to care for him at home. I asked if he would consider allowing Brett to be allowed home all or part of the time on a tag, on passionate grounds and am waiting for a response."
Mum-of-three Alison added: "I can‘t fault Lancaster prison because they’ve been fantastic but I just want him home. He’s clean (from drugs) now and isn’t a bad lad.
"He’s my only son and I’ve always loved him.
"He might not have long left and needs to be with his family. We are all trying to stay positive and believe we can get him home in time to look after him."
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Burglary of an elderly man in Darwen - twice! Need I say more? To coin a phrase -"If you can`t do the time don`t do the crime" springs to mind, and that is as polite as I can be.
Maybe asking the 83-year-old man in Darwen, if he should be allowed out, would be the way forward. Commit a crime,do the time. I think more "Trail by Victim" and you wouldn't see sob stories like this.
I`m just gobsmacked that the local newspaper can even consider running a story such as this. Doesn`t look good. How about get the elderly victims story lets see what he has to say, after all he is the one that has suffered...hasn`t he?
yes brett did do wrong and brett is now paying for that dont you think! as are us his family and his children,i hope you never have a family member with cancer, and certantly not a child of yours ,in the past 4yrs i have lost 2 sisters to cancer and now my only son has it,i think you will find that brett is a well liked lad and the number of people who have asked me is they can put there names down to help get him home is fantastic and that will be my next move,i wont give up till he is home,and i will get him home,even if people like you dont approve.
thank you graham i found your comments very unhelpful and hurtful....brett has served most of his sentence but in all fairness gained a life sentence...at the end of the day he is somebodys son an a father of 3 an should be allowed to spend watever time he has left with them...i am waiting for the petition to be started an will definately be signing it....and may i bring to your attention that not long ago prisons were overcrowded and they needed space and surely a man with inoperable lung cancer qualifies to be let home a few measly months early!!!!! Also i would like to wish alison and her girls and bretts children all the luck...... hope you get him home soon xxx
wot harm can a dieing man do now?he got a life sentance.dont u think?
Brett is my baby brother, and yes he has done wrong in the past, when he had a bad drugs problem. belive me when we heard what he had done, our family disowned him, but that was the addiction to drugs. everyone has a past an everyone has done things they regret, Brett is now paying the ultimate price for his crime. he was given 5yr and for the record as already served most of it. we are not asking ppl to let him out of prison without conditions. where asking for him to be let out on tag , some might call it what he deserves. but he has 3 beautiful children that are distraught at the prospect of there dad dying in prison. PLS HELP US BRING HIM HOME. CANCER IS AN AWFUL ILLNESS TO GO THROUGH WHEN YOU HAVE FAMILY AROUND YOU SO IMAGINE FOR A SECOND HOW IT FEELS TO HIM AN HIS CHILDREN .
i would like to add that there are now 3 petitions in shops in oswaldtwistle to help get brett home also we have put a group together on facebook for brett and in the few hours of doing this almost 100 people have put there names down to help and still counting,i would like to thank everyone for the support & please feel free to join in to help get my son home.
I wish the family well. I am entitled to my own views which are that he should end his days in prison and be allowed family visits. That may seem harsh but if it was your elderly relative who was the victim how would you feel, and would you petition for the offenders release if the roles were reversed. I hope not. All hypathetical I know, but food for thought?
yes you are entitled to your opinion graham and so are other people and the last time i looked on facebook so are 254 other people who are supporting brett & thats just been in two & half days ,also thats not counting the petitions in shops i think there has been only one persons negative thoughts and thats you, brett knows he did wrong and thats why he is where he is,he will have served his sentance (all of it) in september 09,how can you say "just have prison visits",its hard enough for his children who are only 17 and twins 14 to cope with his cancer,never mind visiting him in a jail till hes too sick to sit and have a visit with them,i also have had cancer & i have lost my mum to it and in the past 3yrs 2 sisters to cancer,i have had to bury them and now my only son has it,like i said befor i hope you never have to go through this nightmare its plain to see you havnt or you wouldnt make the remarks you have and just for the record all my son has been in trouble for befor are driving offences,not murder,rape,mugging or any other act of violence,& brett is putting a letter together explaining his self and i would also like everyone to know that brett has never asked me to do what i have done to try to get him home,its just a mother thing ............. uncondisional love for her child.
Alison: I appreciate the 254 facebook thing, but come on when you think friends and family etc will have made up a substantial amount of those petitioning, its not that great. Obviously a very large proportion of the local population don`t agree and wont add to facebook. I appreciate you are family and have your own agenda, and no matter what my opinion is I admire you for trying to get public support. I wish you well but doubt you will get much public sympathy.
no you are wrong about face book and the family, i have only one brother left and three children and last count 290 people i dont know have put there name down,i think you will find that people have feelings and see that brett should be home,end of.
[QUOTE]just for the record all my son has been in trouble for befor are driving offences,not murder,rape,mugging or any other act of violence[/QUOTE] but... [QUOTE]After writing to Justice Secretary Jack Straw, Alison was told that Brett was still considered a medium risk to the public after absconding from an open prison in Kirkham last year.[/QUOTE] and... [QUOTE]added six months on to his five-year sentence for TWICE burgling the home of an 83-year-old man in Darwen in February and March of 2007. He admitted the offences and said he committed them to buy heroin.[/QUOTE] Drugs are the killer, but he was not thinking about that when he committed the offences.
I dont know Brett, but want him to be home, every person deserves peace in what could be his final months. Graham if you have nothing constructive to say then why bother...to bretts family i hope he can come home and wish you all the best. Keep your strenght for him and dont waste your energy with the do gooders- who have obviously never done anything wrong in there lifes xxx
i would really like to be able to see things from your point of view but my head wont go that far up my backside,
i'm bretts little sister and i disagree that he should be left to rot so to speak he should be at home with hes family and hes 3 beautiful children, i wouldnt wish it on anyone to be alone while dealing with the fact you have cancer let alone having people like you putting him down you can all say and think as u wish but our family will not be giving up any time soon my brother is a lovely,kind and a well liked guy who made a mistake!!! but i suppose no one else has ever made a mistake eh?
Have a heart and let brett home! Everyone makes mistakes, and he knows what he did was wrong, him and his children are now payin the price for it, But at least let him be at home with his family around him.
i wish alison and her family all the luck in the world and hope that you do manage to get brett home in time where he belongs with is family around him at this sad time in his and familys lifes. PLEASE ALLOW BRETT TO BE AT HOME WHERE HE BELONGS WITH IS FAMILY.
it is now 8.32 am on wednesday 24th june 2009 an i have just checked facebook on bretts group..the runnin total is 342 an people are still joinin...as for all these being family and friends i would like to point out that people are joinin from as far away as america!!!! As for alison wantin public sympathy..it is not a case of that she wants wats right for her son and that is to be at home with his family an be looked after properly with his medical needs met because as far as i am aware the prison service cant seem to get it quite right....and to bring to light another story didn't Jack Tweedy get released early on compassionate grounds and he wasnt even the one that was ill!!!!
I think Brett should be allowed home even if he was to be tagged he would get the love and surpport he needs right now, ok wot he did was wrong, it was wrong for top MP`s to con a lot more money from us to feed there addiction GREED they they resign get a healthy pay out,send them to jail send Brett home
In my opinion he shouldn't be allowed home. He decided to commit a crime, he should have to serve his time like anyone else would. I do feel sorry for him and his family but at the end of the day he went against the law of this land and had no regard for his victim. You can't have one rule for one and then one rule for another.
if thats the case and its not 1 rule for 1 and 1 rule for another then how is it that celebs get away with more and they are allowed home on compassionate grounds despite breaking the law! we arent expecting brett to come home and that be that,whats wrong with him getting a tag? as i keep saying if this was 1 of your relatives you wouldnt have the views that you have just imagine for 1 second that this was your child alone while dealing with CANCER!!!!
He made a choice and unfortunately people have to live with the consequences of that. It isn't fair on the family but people should think of things like that before they do these terrible crimes. I don't want to cause offence to anyone - just stating my own opinion which everyone is allowed to do.
yes every one is entitled to there own opinion,its a shame they dont put there opinions to better use, it wasnt that long ago that jack straw let a criminal out on early release (that wasnt ill) and after a month he murdered someone yet my brother has only 6mnths left on his sentance and hasnt asked us to do any of this is refused and a tag would still be punishment! as i said before the family wont be giving up anytime soon!!!
Let Brett go home to his Family, where he is love and needed, let them take care of him, the Prison service as we all know are not bothered how Brett is even doing, be compassionate and let him home to his family!!