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UK: Britain's Oldest Crooks: it’s an OAP crime wave (Eric Mann)

Filipa Jodelka

The Guardian

Thursday 10 Dec 2015

Another who perhaps never should have seen the inside of the slammer is Eric, 72, a man who started growing weed after finding it to be the only thing that relieved his rheumatoid arthritis. I would argue quite firmly that if anyone deserves to spark up a fat one, it’s Eric, whose mining career was interrupted first by a stint in the army and later by a physically taxing one in the building trade.
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Of all the subjects in the documentary, I feel worst for Eric, whose prescription pain relief was withdrawn after it became apparent suicide was one unfortunate possible side effect. I can say with supreme confidence that there has never been a more heart-wrenching bit of TV than poor, lovely Eric explaining that, in the depths of despair, the only thing that made him walk away from the cliff’s edge he found himself walking his dog along one dark day, was the knowledge that Fido would follow him over. And this, in what is otherwise a light, frivolous ITV doc.

There are probing questions somewhere in here about whether the stereotype of meek pensioners is out of sync with the reality, but they’re never quite asked. Has Eric suffered a greater injustice by being sent to prison over a bit of medicinal cannabis oil than someone a quarter of his age doing the same thing? Looking at him walking his staffy on the beach bleakly, saying he’s waiting for the scythe, and comparing this to the average stoner, wearing grubby weed-leaf socks and getting really good at GTA, I think: yes, maybe he has. Eric, love, there’s a bifta and two paracetamol with your name on ’em round at mine whenever you need.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/dec/10/britains-oldest-crooks-filipa-jodelka?CMP=share_btn_fb

 

 

 

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