Ferry hits out at Gloucestershire Police treatment
Otis Ferry has claimed he was unfairly targeted by New Labour and Gloucestershire police.
Ferry, the eldest son of rock star Bryan Ferry, made the claim in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph after the threat of a jail sentence was lifted.
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Otis Ferry
The 26-year-old said he was "sickened" he was put in prison for four months while awaiting trial on a charge of perverting the course of justice, which was later dropped.
He said he believes he was targeted unfairly by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
He added: "This has been politically motivated. I am a Tory-supporting master of foxhounds and the current Government is anti everything that someone like me stands for.
"This is a socialist Government and I am the epitome of everything they detest. The police and Crown Prosecution Service were baying to screw me over as hard as they could.
"Gloucestershire Constabulary are notorious celebrity-hunters – not that I consider myself a 'celebrity'. I hate the word.
"The pressure from the Crown Prosecution wasn't normal. They put an enormous amount of effort and money into a bog-standard case."
Ferry is no stranger to controversy, and has been arrested at least five times for his pro-countryside and hunting protests.
His latest trouble began in November 2007 when he rode out with Gloucester- shire's Heythrop Hunt.
He arrived late and came across an incident in which a pro-hunt supporter clashed with two hunt monitors – known as saboteurs to the hunting community.
A scuffle ensued and Ferry was arrested amid claims he had tried to grab a video camera from a protestor and won a "tug of war" for her car keys, leaving her upper right arm bruised.
Ferry denies the tussle, but admits he later returned to recover the camera, wiped clear the film and gave it to a member of the hunt so the camera could be returned to its owner.
Two days later, Ferry was arrested in connection with the incident and put in a police cell. He was taken to Gloucester police station, where he was interviewed and, later, released.
In April last year, Ferry was charged with robbery and common assault and a trial date was set for September.
He was later arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice through "witness nobbling" after he contacted a man involved in the case.
He was interviewed at Stroud police station and, refused bail and detained overnight in a police cell.
Ferry said he simply rang the phone number of an anonymous text message sent to him but he was remanded in custody to Gloucester prison.
Ferry said: "I was handcuffed and booked into this prison with 400 other people. I was absolutely petrified because I had no idea what I might be up against. The first week was a blur.
"I just could not believe that this was happening to me. Going to court to be denied bail is one of the most crushing experiences anyone will ever experience. It happened to me four times and was completely soul-destroying."
Ferry spent his 26th birthday and Christmas in prison, though he was grateful on Christmas Eve to have a visit from his 63-year-old father, the former lead singer of Roxy Music.
In January, after four months in jail, Ferry's lawyers persuaded the judge to released him on bail.
Judge Martin Picton described Ferry's custody as "nonsensical and farcical".
Last month the Crown accepted Ferry's pleas of not guilty to robbery and common assault charges.
He admitted a public order offence and was given a one-year conditional discharge for causing "fear, stress and upset" to one of the hunt monitors.
A spokesman for Gloucestershire police said: "He was treated the same as any other member of the public. The decision to investigate alleged offences was made by professional, seasoned officers."
A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Mr Ferry's case was kept under review and dealt with according to the Code for Crown Prosecutors, in the same way as every other case that the CPS deals with."
Opinion, p8
19 Comments
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by Bumpkin, Cheltenham
Saturday, June 06 2009, 9:54AM
“What about the animals that you care so much about AR? Aparently the guy that was being stopped by the monitors was trying to help a sick horse. Great behavior from people that suposedly care about animals.
From what I see more of you AR lot care more about this so called "class war" than animals. Atleast admit what you are really all about and stop hiding behind animal rights.”
by AR2048, London
Saturday, June 06 2009, 2:34AM
“The way Otis Ferry told it he -
'instinctively' wanted to help a male who had 'lost the plot', was verbally abusing females and committing criminal damage
took a video camera he knew belonged to someone else and which he knew he had no right to take
deliberately destroyed evidence on that video camera.
I have no doubt that the true British public do NOT 'respect' such despicable behaviour and that in fact it is "the epitome of everything they detest".”
by Hessen, Chelt.
Thursday, June 04 2009, 8:56PM
“Hurrah for Otis! The fellow tells it exactly how it is, and we the true British public, respect him thoroughly for doing exactly so.”
by AR2048, London
Thursday, June 04 2009, 3:32PM
“Instead of trying to play the martyr Otis Ferry should be deeply ashamed of himself, he needs to start taking responsibility for his appalling behaviour.
Otis Ferry has admitted that he "instinctively went to the aid of the pro-hunt supporter in his scuffle with two women".
What a gentleman eh?
He did this even though he admits the pro-hunt supporter had "lost the plot", and was "verbally abusing the hunt monitors, before rocking their car and smashing a window. "
What did Otis Ferry claim to have done upon witnessing criminal damage and two females under threat of someone who had "lost the plot" ?
According to him he "thought: 'I had better help this guy out.'.
What a martyr eh?
He then admitted taking a video camera belonging to one of the females and destroying the evidence on it.
Thankfully, to the overwhelming majority of the public such behaviour is "the epitome of everything they detest".”
by Hessen, Chelt.
Tuesday, June 02 2009, 7:19PM
“Ferry for P.M! At least this fellow has the sense to tell it how it is- the fact that under this neo-stalinist Government, we are all living in a Police State.”
by Anon, Chelt.
Tuesday, June 02 2009, 6:04PM
“Otis Ferry is an arrogant, spoilt brat who feels so sorry for himself that he has marketed his tale of woe to the local press. Do not overlook the fact that he is constantly flouting the law & getting away with it, so GOOD it is great to hear his very short time behind bars caused him such distress. Get a proper job Otis & start contributing towards something worthwhile, instead of showing off because you cannot do what you want.”
by Bored, Cheltenham
Tuesday, June 02 2009, 3:27PM
“Well put Rob.”
by Rob, Abbeymead
Tuesday, June 02 2009, 2:49PM
“I don't think fox-hunting should play any part in this debate, whether you're for or against..
In one story today, we have a woman with a string of convictions let off for putting a stilletto into another woman in a drunken violent attack. In this case, we have 4 months in prison for causing "upset".
If people can't distinguish between the two then maybe you'll only care when an injustice happens to you.”
by JBNTS, Stroud (ish)
Tuesday, June 02 2009, 12:39PM
“I suspect that quite a few people who are exccedingly rich are just as much against this jumped-up nonentity yob as the rest of us.”
by Mark Fox, Ledbury Country
Tuesday, June 02 2009, 12:11PM
“My sincere apologies for missing the apostrophe from the word "he'll" in the final sentence of my previous comment - anybody would think I'd been educated at Marlborough!”