Abused as a child, Jay’s life spiraled into crime, landing him a life sentence. He now seeks redemption.
Jay says he witnessed abuse at Ty Mawr, which exacerbated his childhood trauma. He experienced abuse, beatings, and bullying, even while at Ty Mawr before becoming homeless. To support his drug and gambling habits, Jay resorted to stealing from shops.
His pattern of breaking the law led to 33 offenses, including burglaries and shoplifting. He also committed five armed robberies, and in 2014, he received a life sentence with a minimum term of four and a half years.
Now 49, Jay has spent 28 years in prison, often incarcerated alongside serious criminals. He admits to struggling with mental health issues, including autism and PTSD, and is finally receiving the help he needs, even when he preferred prison to the outside world.
Jay is now committed to sharing his story, hoping to inspire others and demonstrate that a better path is possible. He emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the need for help in order to achieve a fulfilling life.
Jay believes a very difficult childhood propelled him toward a life of crime, resulting in an extensive criminal record.
Jay described his childhood as “awful,” marked by bullying and abuse. He wasn’t diagnosed with autism until adulthood and faced inconsistent schooling while living in foster homes and children’s homes. He felt like he never had a real home.
He lived at home mostly from 11 to 14, then he went back to care. Ty Mawr housed as many as 60 kids and closed due to abuse. He saw others abused, including his friend and the headmaster was jailed for indecent assault. Others were jailed too.
At 15, Jay left Ty Mawr with only £10 and became homeless in Abergavenny. He returned to foster care, living with families who wanted to assist him. However, he didn’t trust anyone then, ran away, and began stealing. He started using drugs and gambling to numb the pain.
His biggest regret is not seeking help sooner. Receiving a life sentence in 2014, he explains how petty theft in care escalated to shoplifting and burglaries. He quickly stopped burgling homes because it did not feel right and felt less bad about shoplifting, blaming society then, but not now.
CCTV footage shows him robbing shops, using weapons and threatening staff. In 2014, he robbed a woman at a shop using a hammer and robbed another woman at a casino using a piece of wood, before turning himself in.
He preferred being in prison at the time, stating, “I wasn’t frightened of prison at all.” He consistently admitted to his crimes, utilizing prison as a safety net, unable to cope outside of it. Hating bullies due to his own experiences, he learned to defend himself. While he doesn’t want to go back now and enjoys living outside, he has been drug-free for 10 years.
His reform began when he sought help and learned about his autism, ADHD, PTSD, and other disorders. Describing himself as a “closed book,” he believes he wouldn’t have ended up in prison if he had received earlier support.
Jay is hoping now for another chance at life and aspires to improve his relationship with his children. He also wants to travel abroad and provide compensation and a sincere apology to his victims, as he never intended to become a criminal, instead he wants to make things right.