Heartbroken Finsbury Park father might not see kids at Christmas after new job lands him in jail
Ashley Stanfield - Credit: Archant
A heartbroken father may not see his children at Christmas after he was locked up because his new job breached parole conditions.
Ashley Stanfield, 48, was in tears after being sent back to prison because his shifts as a delivery driver broke his curfew. But he says his parole officer had told him it was OK.
Mr Stanfield, of Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, had been released at the end of August after serving 18 months for conspiracy to steal a car. He found work quickly in a bid to turn his life around.
Despite explaining to his parole officer the job required him to start at 6.15am, 45 minutes before his night-time curfew ended, he is now in HMP Pentonville facing the festive period without his family.
Laura Aubrey, an old friend, said: “It’s disgusting. It’s like he has been punished for getting a job.
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“He had done so well, done the training and bought the uniform and was making a good go of it. He was so happy.
Hard times
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“He explained everything to his parole officer, but when he went for his next meeting with him, the officer told him there was a warrant for his arrest.
“I’ve never seen a grown man cry before, but when he found out he might not see his children for Christmas he was gutted.
“He is such a nice guy, he’d do anything for anyone. He’s taken my dog to the vets in the middle of the night, he even flew out to Spain with my mum when my grandad died out there.
“He’s not a criminal type, he just made a mistake.
“He fell on hard times and got in with a stupid bunch of criminals and went away for it.
“But he did his time and regretted it. Now it feels like he’s back to square one.”
A spokesman for the Probation Service said: “Home detention curfew conditions can be altered to enable ex-offenders to take up a job, but the change must be approved by both their probation officer and the prison service.
“This can take several days, and in the meantime we advise ex-offenders not to breach their curfew times until the change is finalised, as this may result in them being recalled.”
