Slaves of all - Jesus Army

ON THE INSIDE
Kieron Richards is 21.
He will be in prison until at
least his early 40s. He tells Jesus Life
his story – and his message for other young men.
www.jesus.org.uk
TODAY I’m serving a life sentence
with a tariff of 18 years. I
can apply for parole in 2024. I’m
locked in a cell 22 hours a day.
On 12 January 2007 I was
convicted of murder and attempting
to pervert the course
of justice, after six months on
remand. That was the first day
of the rest of my life and my
freedom is finished.
If and when I am eventually
released I will still be serving
my life sentence on licence; one
wrong move would end me back
inside.
It is all my own fault.
My Mum and Dad split up
when I was about two or three
years old. I was around four
years old when my Mum met
her partner. I can’t say that
I’ve ever liked him, if he was at
home from work I would stay
at my uncle’s until he went
back away to work. When we
were in the house together we
would shout at each other most
of the time. The problems just
got bigger, I had been smoking
and drinking since I was about
11 or 12 and when I turned 13 I
started using drugs.
I was always in trouble
at school, doing whatever I
wanted, there was a good few of
us kicking up a fuss and I always
did what the others wouldn’t
dare to do. Someone would get
something in their head and I
would end up doing it.
I always said “what do I need
Someone
would get
something
in their
head and I
would end
up doing it
an education for?” From when
I was old enough to say “army”,
I wanted to join up and I knew
I could get in without qualifications.
Drinking and smoking
weed every weekend became
normal.
I saw my dad every Sunday
morning. To me Dad was Superman;
nothing could ever happen
to him; he was a third dan black
belt in karate. But in 1999 he
died; I was told one afternoon
that he had died that morning.
My world was turned upside
down, I started taking hard drugs
and drinking more than ever and
Continued overleaf
Jesus Life Three/2007 Page 27