Brett Ewins hospitalised by police

[Dog Deever]

On a more positive note...
Mail is a very big thing for most prisoners, anything to counteract the isolation from the rest of the world no matter how trivial, can keep spirits up. I assume if you go for days without hearing from anyone you would start to wonder if you have been forgotten by the world at large. Mail can represent that continued connection.

[vzzbux]

I would definitaly agree with mail.
It was the same when I was on a tour when I was in the army. Mail call was a must.




V

[John Caliber]

We're seeing a parallel in the recent murder of Afghans by the mentally ill US soldier. They're now talking about the Death Penalty for him! That's just bloody evil .... at best it's Manslaughter, but the guy's in the worst possible place at the worst time. But, since all governments think nothing of sending soldiers to politically legimitate deaths, this soldier's fate is sealed by the slapdash of a pen. A war that no government in its right mind should have entered into ... the lines between enemy and friend blurred, state of the art weaponry readily at hand ... it's the US Army's mismanagement that is at fault.

[The Legendary Shark]

I've written to his MP asking that he look into the conditions under which Brett is held...

Good stuff, Tordels - you've inspired me to follow suit.

I wrote a quick email to Mr Pound (Brett's MP) and fired it off a moment ago. I kept it short:

"Dear Mr Pound,

"It has come to my attention that comic book artist Brett Ewins, following an incident mid-January, is now being held in Wormwood Scrubs with no access to the medication he requires for his mental health issues.

"I beg you, Mr Pound, to please look into the situation of Mr Ewins with all possible dispatch and to ensure that one of our most talented and beloved artists receives the medical treatment he so desperately needs.

"Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours faithfully, etc., etc."

The MP's email address is:  stevepoundmp@parliament.uk   and I also CC'd my own MP.

[The Legendary Shark]

Not entirely sure what to make of Mr Pound's reply, which I post here as a direct Ctrl+c/Ctrl+v:

I am very well indeed of the circumstances surrounding my friend, neighbour and constituent Brett Ewins.


I'm visiting him again next week.



Steve Pound.

(I think the word "aware" might be missing - which would seem quite apt from a politician!    )

[The Legendary Shark]

Last post from me for a bit - sorry to be hogging the thread but I thought this line in a second email from Mr Pound might be interesting:

146 e-mails since 10am has an impact,SP.

[Zarjazzer]

Which section of the mental health act (MHA) is he being held under?

[Mgubgub]

To the board!
I wrote the following to MP Stephen Pound and am just cutting and pasting here to show others the bit part I played...I lurved Bad Company in many ways and the best bit in my opinion was the way things were slowly revealed, this added to my interest and made sure I read all of Book 1.

If we are going to work together to make sure Brett gets the correct treatment or treated correctly.I think we should use the board to maintain a continuity so as not to waste anyones time in keeping abreast of what we do done didn't. I just followed the sharks idea of poosting what he had written in order to either encourage or show others what he thought best.

"Sir

It has come to my attention that a member of your consituency is currently being detained in Prison and hasn't been given the medicine he needs for an already diagnosed condition. I myself came to know Brett through a story I was mad about called Bad Company. The Story was featured in perhaps the best of British comics for a generation and kept me entertained whilst serving the armed forces in Germany. I am now a Paranoid Scizophrenic and have an insight into mental health going back to 1995. Through my experience it has been the case that if I refuse to take my medicine I would be forced to take an injection to ensure I did not go untreated. How is it with the great leaps in understanding with regards to Psychiatry someone in need of help and who has been diagnosed is allowed to get by without treatment?"

Anthony Green

[TordelBack]

Good idea, Duvet.  Here's what I wrote in my letter, and taking Sharky's lead I've just e-mailed it as well (still hung up on the idea that postal correspondence is taken more seriously). 


Dear Mr. Pound,

I write to you to express my concern for the welfare of your constituent Mr. Brett Ewins, and to ask that you do all in your power to see that he is accorded the care and support he undoubtedly deserves.  I am not myself a UK citizen, but I came across your name in the initial newspaper report on the incident where Brett and a police officer were injured during an altercation, and was impressed by the balanced and

supportive nature of your quoted comment on what is obviously a very difficult sequence of events. 

While I do not know him personally, Brett gave me a very great deal of pleasure as a child and teenager with his artwork for comics and magazines like 2000AD, Citadel and Deadline, and I was deeply saddened to hear of his present situation. 

While in no way downplaying the seriousness of the events that accompanied Brett's injuries and his being held on remand, it seems the absolute least I can do as someone who has benefited from his tremendous talent to ask that you as his public representative, and someone who knows him personally, ensure that he is receiving all the medical care and emotional supports that he requires, and that his treatment within the legal system takes full account of his particular circumstances.

Thanks in advance for your attention to this matter,

Yours sincerely,

[TordelBack]

No idea what happened with the quoting there, apologies.

[Mgubgub]

An additional letter I wrote to Steven Pound MP
(Just thought I'd keep the board up to speed)

Sir
I wrote to you yesterday regarding the care and treatment of your constituent Brett Ewins. I discussed what I wrote in that e-mail with others and they suggested that maybe the tone in my letter blamed you regarding his care. If my e-mail came across with the tone of blame I apologise! I am honestly worried that perhaps he isn't being given medication appropriate to his condition and was trying to see if you could account for it in a way that I would better understand. I, as a paranoid schizophrenic am only too well aware that should someone with a mental affliction not take their medication they will end up ill and inevitably be made to take their medicine via an injection that might have a lasting effect for up to two weeks. I understand that the medical jargon for this forced treatment is a "Depo" and the patient whether they be in prison or at liberty will benefit as a result.

Could you clarify for me whether he is refusing to take his medication or being denied? To be denied is in my limited understanding incredulous, as I feel mental health has ever since the discovery of neuroleptics and anti-psychotic medicines shown success in treating the severest of mental ailments. I am also aware that every patient within the mental health side of medical treatment is different and not all medications suit all people but even if there is a slight chance that he might benefit from treatment it has to be better than no treatment at all.

Thank you for your time

Anthony Green

[Mgubgub]

This is the reply I got today from Steven Pound, it seems he is dealing with a lot of concerned people wishing Brett well!!!

Dear Anthony Green,
Thanks for this and absolutely no blame was identified by me.

I am in daily contact with the prison governor and with Brett's family and it is difficult to respond individually to the scores of people who are contacting me from all over the world on this subject.

It is a justified tribute to the genius of Brett Ewins but very difficult to deal with when the NHS "reforms", Afghanistan and the emerging situation in Irma demand so much time and attention.

I've just received another letter from the governor and am visiting again next week.

I'll try to construct a mechanism by which I can reply to all the people who are contacting me - even if it will not be a personal message.

Best wishes,

Steve Pound.

[Emperor]

I'll try to construct a mechanism by which I can reply to all the people who are contacting me - even if it will not be a personal message.

If you like you can give him my public email address (mighty.emperor@gmail.com) and I can then pass on any updates here and punt them over to the comics press (through Bleeding Cool, DTT and the FP blog, who have a high profile and interested parties will spot the news there and pass it on) or I can email him directly.

[Mgubgub]

Emperor, I think it best for you to write to him as I would merely be acting as a middle man...sorta
fofaflore like which is I think best avoided..so Sir if you wouldn't mind...

[Onlyverysmall]

You guys are great for doing this, as are the previous for other people(Shark is an angel), as a person of limited motivation I will be forever impressed.