THE mother of an autistic teenager jailed for three years after aiming an air rifle at police has broken her silence to plead for
his release.
Ruth Barlow wants her 16-year-old son Sam freed from a young offenders’ institute more than 400 miles from the family’s home on Shetland while his appeal against sentence goes through court.
His family believe first offender Sam, who has a history of mental health problems, brandished the air rifle while trying to get himself shot by police.
He had previously been
tormented by bullies who are still being investigated by police and was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome after the incident on September 23 – in which no one was injured.
Community nurse Ruth asked for judges to pay more attention to a detailed psychological report which highlighted her son’s extreme vulnerability.
She is backed by her MSP Tavish Scott and former Labour justice minister Hugh Henry, who both say the sentence is excessive.
Her campaign has also been
supported by three mental health charities and more than 1800
people in Shetland.
Ruth, 43, told the Sunday Mail: “Sam is a child with learning difficulties and
mental health issues who has
been pushed too far.
“He just wants to come home and be with his mum and dad and his brothers and sisters. We are a large family and very close.
“I have only seen my son once in the flesh since he was arrested six months ago. That was when he appeared in court, and then only for a few minutes.”
Ruth Barlow ..Mother of Samuel Barlow
Sam is being held at Polmont Young Offenders Institute near Falkirk. To get there would need a 14-hour trip by ferry to Aberdeen and another 135 miles by road.
Instead, the family have to make do with going once every six weeks to council offices in Lerwick, where they can speak to Sam on a video link from the prison.
Sam was diagnosed with
learning difficulties when he was four. He also has dyspraxia – a condition that affects his
co-ordination – and dyslexia.
Ruth added: “We spoke to him by video on Wednesday but it
was only the fourth time since he
went inside last September.
“It is not how a mother wants to see her son, on a TV screen. He is bearing up, considering – but he should not be in prison.
“Sam should be outside getting the help that he needs. He has no previous convictions and has never been in trouble with the police.
“After his arrest, he was remanded in prison and was refused bail. which we are told is very unusual now.
“There are very serious violent
criminals out there who have not been treated with the same severity as
Sam.
“People with mental health issues
like my son should not be in prison –
they should be at home getting help.”
Ruth says her son suffered serious bullying at school for several years.
More recently, he was targeted
by adults who were trying to take
advantage of him through Facebook.
Troubled: Sam Barlow carries an air rifle as he approaches police during the incident in Lerwick
Sam had also become involved in
an online relationship with a girl,
which went badly wrong on the
day of the incident.
Sam blamed himself for this and left his home in Wester Skeld, setting off a chain of events culminating in the armed stand-off with police.
He took his family’s airgun from
their home and sailed several miles
in an inflatable dinghy to Scalloway. Two unarmed officers had to take
cover when he pointed the gun at them.
He then hiked six miles across
country to Lerwick, where he tried to get into houses and threatened two residents with the gun.
He then repeatedly pointed the weapon at two armed officers but the police did not fire. Instead, they
persuaded Sam to give himself up.
Earlier this month at Lerwick Sheriff Court, he was sentenced to three
years’ detention after admitting
four charges of assault and one of
threatening and abusive behaviour.
Sheriff Philip Mann said he had to
cage Sam to protect the public – but
he admitted it was a very difficult
decision because of his age and
mental health problems.
Since his conviction, Sam has penned an open letter to the Shetland islanders apologising for his behaviour.
He wrote: “Dear Shetland, I am sorry for the alarm I have caused.
“I was not in a happy or enjoyable
state of mind due to a long-distance relationship that ended in sorrow and heartbreak.
“This affected my state of mind on
the day of the incident.”
The Daily Record covered the case Campaign: The Daily Record has highlighted Sam’s shocking story
Ruth said: “Sam suffered bullying
at school but because of his autism,
he did not realise he was being
bullied.
“For the same reasons, he did not mix well with other pupils and that was why he was being picked on.
“Sam is very interested in all things to so with the sea and spent a lot of time down on the harbour at Scalloway helping local
fishermen with their mussel lines and doing odd jobs for them.
“He had also completed a
two-year seamanship course at the local marine centre.
“Sam did not hang about street corners but was always helping people and keeping busy.
“He had passed his National 4 exams and wanted to do his National 5 qualification.
“Sam is a bright boy but found English and maths hard.
“We never felt that the Shetland schools did enough to help him with his learning difficulties.”
The family moved to Shetland from Bury, Lancashire, in 2006. Sam’s dad Paul Barlow, 47, runs a croft and keeps chickens, geese and sheep.
Sam will not be eligible for release until March 2016 at the earliest. After he is freed, he becomes subject to a supervised release order for one year.
Paul, 47, added: “We would love it if Sam were set free and back home.
“We don’t want to see other autistic persons being jailed when there are better alternatives.
“We think the punishment is too harsh.
“My son had no intention of
hurting anybody that day apart from himself.”
Samuel Barlow points his rifle at police officers Rampage: Sam points his airgun at police
A government spokesman said: “The independence of Scotland’s judiciary is a fundamental part
of the Scottish legal system
and Scottish Ministers cannot intervene in individual cases.
“Because of this, it would be inappropriate for the Scottish
Government to comment on
specific cases.
“In Scotland, anyone dissatisfied with the outcome of a trial or with the sentence imposed has the right to appeal.
“It is for the Appeal Court to determine if the conviction or
sentence is inappropriate in all
the circumstances.
“Again, ministers have no
powers to intervene.”
Charities and politicians yesterday backed the
Barlows’ campaign to get Sam home and questioned the length of his sentence.
Shetland MSP Tavish Scott, a former leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, said: “Three years certainly looks too much.
“The family can only hope
that facts about his mental
well-being will be taken
properly into account by the appeal judges.
“But my primary concern is about Sam’s well-being and the medical issues he faces.
“The distance from his home is enormous and in the current system there is no alternative.”
Labour justice spokesman Hugh Henry added: “While
sentencing is a matter for the court and not politicians, I’m sure most people would think a 16-year-old boy with autism and mental health issues shouldn’t be locked up in Polmont.
“What alternatives were
considered? We need a
root-and-branch review of alternatives to imprisonment to come up with solutions that the judiciary and public have confidence in.”
Jenny Paterson, director of
the National Autistic Society Scotland, said: “Courts need
to understand the impact of autism on someone’s actions
and to take into account the
support they will need if given a custodial sentence.
“We support the family’s call to have the sentence reviewed and will be assisting them with their campaign.
“It is essential that understanding of autism is improved across the criminal justice system.”
Scottish Autism director Charlene Tait added: “This highlights that there are still far too many instances where individuals like Sam can fall through the system.
“There continues to be a lack of broad understanding about people who are on the autism spectrum.”
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