|
Fred was imprisoned 31 times, his final sentence of 60 days, proving too much to take, was half completed. The prison governor had warned Fred that the harsh prison environment could be the death of him, to which Fred replied that, 'it didn't matter 'where a man died but how.' An enquiry into Fred's death resulted in a coroner's report which concluded that Fred's prison experience had not contributed toward his death !
Demonstrations of support by MAG members were frequently staged outside prisons in which Fred was held; a commemoration of his efforts being made annually at the gates of Pentonville Prison on the anniversary of his death. Fred Hill was seventy four years old when in 1984 he died from a heart attack, suffered whilst in custody in London's Pentonville Prison . Despite the tremendous news angle of one man against the state, the national media, with the exception of two columnists, Mathew Paris and Auberaugn Waugh, suspiciousIy blanked the tragedy.
Whether the helmet issue is important to you or not, we all owe it, not only to Fred but to ourselves, to sustain a ceaseless call for the reform of this outrageous legislation for, as Fred wrote - 'what is a man deprived of his freedom ? ' Motorcycling is about freedom. Fred understood that. We must never forget Fred's example lest we forget why we ride motorcycles.
|
