Gregor Gray, who has so far served a 17-year sentence for robbery, escaped from HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire in mid-May. While on the run, Gray appeared in an episode of the Birmingham-based podcast The Chop Shop, which aired Wednesday. Speaking to the podcast hosts, Gray said: “Right now, you have a man talking to you running. “I’m not hiding from anyone, my name is Gregor Gray,” he said. He added that he escaped from prison because of the “injustice and grief” he experiences when he was in prison, adding that he cried to sleep every night while he was in prison. It has been reported that Gray was initially sentenced to four years, but that he remained in prison due to the Public Protection Imprisonment (IPP). The IPP penalty, described as an “unspecified penalty aimed at serious offenders”, means that perpetrators are destined to serve a minimum term before they can apply for release from a release board. However, the council will approve the release of the perpetrator only if it believes that the perpetrator is “sufficiently safe”. Although the IPP sentence began in 2005, the policy was abolished in 2012, as it was described as the “single biggest blot” in the criminal justice system by a former Supreme Court justice. The decision was not implemented retroactively, so those already subject to an IPP penalty continued to apply. On May 21, BirminghamLive reported that Gray had telephoned one of his reporters, saying that the fact that he was in prison had driven him “crazy” and that he planned to return to prison before his next release on June 14. In a previous statement, the Derbyshire police officer said: “We are appealing for information following the escape of a convict from HMP Sudbury. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST “Gregor Gray has been released from prison [on 15 May]is known to use the pseudonyms of Moses Blake, McGreggor Gray and Marcus Osbourne and has links to Leicester and Birmingham. “Anyone who has seen him or knows where he is, please contact the Derbyshire Police by calling 688-150522. “If you see Gray, do not approach him, but contact the police immediately.”
