Tony Harlow
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Tony Harlow (born 26 September 1962) is the Dudley criminal who made the headlines in 1986 as a gunman dubbed the 'Laughing Cavalier' by the local press.
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[edit] Criminal activities and links with the 'underworld'
Harlow was known to the police from an early age but wanted to turn his back on criminal activities in the mid 1980s following the birth of his first child. This decision angered his partners in crime who began a tirade of abuse against Harlow and his family, which included poison pen letters and threatening phone calls.
He had been married to Denise Moore since January 1984 [[1]] and their first child Sarah was born later that year. [[2]] He is one of nine children born to Robert and Sheila Harlow.
[edit] Shooting spree on the Wren's Nest
Harlow finally cracked in May 1986 when the mob threatened to kill his daughter and rape his wife, who by this time was pregnant with their second child. He reported the threats to the police but no effective action was taken. Harlow took the law into his own hands and bought a shotgun with the intention of gaining revenge on the mob who had blighted his life for over a year. He ran riot on the Wren's Nest estate and fired shots at the home of one of the gangsters. He then fired shots at another house as well as blasting the windows of a car. He then fired a gunshot into the Washington public house (without injuring anybody), before disappearing into the nearby underground caverns.
[edit] Arrest and imprisonment
Dudley Police eventually caught up with Harlow and he was charged on four counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. The jury at Stafford Crown Court found him guilty of all four charges and he was sentenced to four concurrent terms of life imprisonment in December 1986.
His second child, Gemma, was born shortly after the verdict. [[3]]
[edit] Harlow's first escape
In 1993, Harlow escaped from prison for seven months to help look after his terminally ill father Robert. He was eventually re-arrested and returned to prison, but was allowed to attend his father's funeral while handcuffed to police officers.
[edit] Another escape
The Parole Board ruled early in 2003 that Harlow must serve another 18 months in prison before being considered for release. He fled Sudbury Open Prison in Derbyshire during May 2003 and returned to his mother's home on the Wren's Nest estate. During his time in custody, Harlow had learned that his mother had been in hospital after a fall at home and was determined to see her again in case she died.
[edit] The 'Cavalier' gives an interview
In July 2003, journalists from the Dudley News interviewed Harlow at his mother's house and he told the full story about his crimes. A poll among the newspaper's readers was almost 90% in favour of Harlow being released as they were convinced he was no longer a danger to the public.
[edit] Re-arrest
Harlow was finally re-arrested in April 2004, at his wife's house in nearby Coseley. A month later he was found guilty of escaping custody and ordered to serve 18 months in prison. The judge who sentenced Harlow agreed that he was not a danger to the public, but should have given himself up instead of spending a year on the run. Harlow's former wife Denise was later given a suspended sentence for harbouring him during his escape from prison. [[4]]
As of January 2007, Harlow is entering his 21st year of imprisonment.
[edit] Public Support
Tony Harlow has attracted a substantial amount of support from people in his local area who feel that he has been kept behind bars for too long. As the 21st anniversary of his arrest approaches, he has already spent more time behind bars than most murderers; yet he had not even caused injury.
In May 2004, a Dudley News reader had a letter published, condemning his sentence as a "travesty of justice". [[5]]
The previous month, Harlow's family and friends started a petition to secure his release - within days of his re-arrest and return to custody.
Shortly after Harlow's escape in 2003, the Dudley News conducted a survey amongst its readers as to whether he should be released from prison yet, and almost 90% said "yes". [[6]]
[edit] External links
- 2003 News story from BBC News
