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EDGES MAGAZINE Issue 18 |
Jul-Aug 1999 |
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I
got involved in crime when I was about 16 years of age, basically it was
because I got involved with the wrong kind of lads, and I just wanted to
be one of the lads. Like their bit of excitement was getting into
trouble doing stuff, illegal stuff, like dealing drugs, stealing cars,
everything. At first I wasn't sure myself, but I am easily talked into
things and they just led me the wrong way, and then I started dealing
drugs, I was never a user, but I got involved when they stole cars.
For a while whilst I was with these lads, I was very hesitant. I didn't know, I was in two minds but they always twisted my arm and said, "Come on, don't be a s**t-house" and stuff like that and I eventually did it, then after a while, even I started to enjoy it, it was one of those things that almost became a habit, lying, stealing.
There was this one point where I had only been in the country a few months, and someone was slagging my ma off, so basically I just saw red mist, gave him a hiding, and then got caught by the police. I just handed myself in because they were after me anyway and I just thought I'd better hand myself in. Luckily, I only got a caution, the busies who arrested me used to work with my dad when he was in the police.
My parents split up when I was 1 year old and my dad put us in the care of my grandparents while he, in his words, was looking for a good mum for me and my sister. We very rarely saw him. When I was about 6, a woman came to the house, everyone knew her except me, I thought it was a bit strange when my sister and I were put in the front room with this woman. The woman's name was Jackie, then Jackie said something that changed my life forever, she asked me whether I knew who she was, I said no, and she said, "Luke, I'm your mum." I left the room in confusion.
My granddad died when I was 9. It destroyed the whole family, especially me because he brought me up and he was like my true father. After that my dad jumped into my life with one of his girlfriends, at first she was sound, but when she realised that she was in with the family, after that she turned sour. A few months down the line she and I fell out and she said to my dad either he goes or I go. So, to my surprise, my dad asked me where I wanted to go. So I said Zimbabwe.
From 9 to 16 I lived in Zimbabwe, with my mother, stepfather and my little brother and sister, I had everything a lad my age would want, I went to boarding school in Plumtree and there I found out I had sporting talent. I made the Zimbabwe schools team in Rugby, Cricket, Athletics and Waterpolo. When I was 16, my mum found out I smoked, and was pretty angry with me for it, so to prevent myself from getting into trouble I said that I wanted to move back to England. I did, and it turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life. I thought I didn't have a future, especially when I was sent to prison. Whilst I was in prison, Father Jim McCartney came to visit me and since then, things have been looking up for me.
When I first came to this country my dad was a full-blown alchy, I never even talked to him. My dad would start giving me shit so that we would end up scrapping. Most of the time I would end up being arrested over it, or I'd go out and kick somebody else's head in, as you do. Once, after a fight, I nicked his car, but it all ended when I wrote his Jag off. I was already banned; I got a hefty fine and a combination order of 250 hours of Community Service and 2 years of probation. My dad was purely wounded about me crashing his Jag because it was his pride and joy, but I couldn't care less because I had lost all respect for him with him being an alchy.
In the end, due to all the tension in the family I always ended up fighting battles with my mates or anyone else, all I needed to do was to find a target. I thought this was all very well done cause people respected me and I had a good reputation around my area. That is the impression that I got from everyone, but I would hate to hear what they where saying behind my back. I never had real friends because I was classed as a kick-off merchant. The people that I hung around with, we called each other mates but we were just associates and would stab each other in the back given the chance.
I got sentenced for shooting one of my mates with an air rifle, although he shot me first, when I shot him he grassed me up to the plod.
I have now finished my sentence, but while I was in prison I was introduced to Father Jim and he helped me realise that there is more to life than just crime, and that I have talents that even I didn't know that I had.
I am currently in a beautiful house and will be going to College in September so that I can become a qualified P.E. teacher.
Most of my thanks goes to Jim for guiding me the way I should have gone the first time I came to this country, but also I thank myself for the effort and will power I put in to changing my ways, and it has now all turned out very worth while.
If anyone who is, or has been having problems with life, always remember a little effort goes a long way.
