No one is innocent?

And certainly not Ronnie Biggs who is being released from prison on compassionate grounds. How much compassion did Ronnie Biggs show Jack Mills? According to Ronnie Biggs son in a radio interview the other day, his father is dying and cannot speak and is all but immobile; time will tell. His lawyers have said that he has recently suffered two strokes and has facial paralysis, which means he cannot speak or eat.

But who is Jack Mills? Jack Mills was the driver of the Travelling Post Office that was robbed. Jack Mills was hit on the head with an iron bar (not by Ronnie Biggs), causing a black eye and facial bruising; he had constant trauma headaches the rest of his life. So how did Ronnie Biggs show his remorse for the beating of Jack Mills? He recorded a song or two with the post Johnny Rotten Sex Pistols; The delightfully entitled "Belsen Was a Gas" and the rather more pertinent "No One is Innocent" aka "The Biggest Blow (A Punk Prayer)". The original title of the song was to have been "Cosh the Driver" but that was too much even for Virgin Records.

So whilst the BBC have as their lead story the heart-warming tale that "Train robber Biggs wins freedom" accompanied by a photo of a frail and elderly Ronnie Biggs, I choose to remember him slightly differently, singing:

"Ronnie Biggs was doing time until he done a bunk
Now he says he's seen the light and he sold his soul to punk
...
God save Martin Boorman and nazis on the run
They wasn't being wicked God that was their idea of fun
God save Myra Hindley God save Ian Brady
Even though he's horrible and she ain't what you call a lady
...
God save politicians God save our friends the pigs
God save Idi Amin and god save Ronald Biggs
God save all us sinners God save your blackest sheep
God save the good samaritan and god save the worthless creep"

and posing for a cover photo thus:


"Do I regret anything that's happened? No not a single thing I've ever done"