Expelled From School And Sent to Prison

I was fortunate enough, that during my academic career, I was never suspended or expelled from school – not because I was a good boy who towed the line, but because I was never caught. There was a band of us at The Grange School in Kenya, who were always that one step ahead of Mr. Layfield, the headmaster. I could list the names of my partners in crime and the ‘offences’ we committed, but I shudder at the thought of what dad – Mr. Bukumunhe that is, or their parents would say.

The Grange School, Limuru, Kenya

By the time I met Jeremy Whitfield at school in England, he had been suspended from six schools and expelled from four. If that was not ‘achievement’ enough, he had a list of petty criminal convictions to his name and guess what, he was barely 17-years-old!

The first time I saw him in action with the schools authorities was in the chemistry lab. He had an altercation with Teacher that saw him lose his rag. Short of starting a bonfire in the lab that necessitated the fire brigade and police being called, he threatened to cut out Teacher’s heart and feed it to the dogs.

If I recall, they caged him in a juvenile detention center for a couple of weeks before being released back into society and school. When he came back, obviously the school’s administration was on bunkenke but remarkably enough, he towed the line – for almost a month until a squad of police cars pulled up outside the school during lunch.

What startled, is the disorder in the dining room with Jeremy making a run for it - to the nearest exit and fleeing down a back alleyway. But amusingly enough, it wasn’t only Jeremy who fled. Ten others also fled and as did a number of black males who sported dreadlocks.

Entertainingly enough, once the dust settled, it dawned that the police hadn’t stormed though the school gates to make arrests. On looking out the French bay windows, they had turned up on other business – to a house across the street which, we later found out was being used as a marijuana and cocaine smoking house.

British Police Carrying Out A Raid

And all went back to normal until the police turned up yet again and on friendly terms to lecture on drug abuse. It was an insightful talk especially the part about being able to detect if somebody is on drugs – glazed all over eyes, needle marks and pimples.

After that lecture, Jeremy and a number of others didn’t show up at school for a while. We later found out that they had been ‘suspended’, and were helping the police with their enquiries in an issue over ‘handling stolen property’. It turns out that Jeremy’s brother – who was expelled from school when he was barely in his teens, was in a gang that had ripped of a truck at a service station on the M6 motorway and made off with electronics.

An Expulsion Letter

When Jeremy returned from his ‘suspension’ he looked a frightful sight – withdrawn, almost a recluse. And almost as soon as he returned, things started to go missing. A computer went missing from the computer lab as did some chemicals from the chemistry club.

The writing on the wall or rather his expulsion from school came late afternoon when police walked in during a geography lesson I think it was, and stood just inside the door talking to the lecturer.

Almost immediately, the entire class turned round and looked at Jeremy who, in a futile attempt was trying to shield his face. He didn’t struggle as they led him away and it was the last time we ever saw him. 

Her Majesty's Prison, Morland In Yorkshire

We did later learn he was sent to jail at Her Majesty's Prison - Moorland, for 8-years. 


Picture Credits: Daily Star, onlinemadison.com, telelgraph.co.uk, ahu.edu