Former Birmingham Six prisoner helping Kenny Richey

FORMER Birmingham Six prisoner Paddy Hill has come to the aid of Kenny Richey as he struggles to cope with life outside Death Row.

The pair met up last week when Richey – who has claimed to being on the brink of suicide – was said to be close to "exploding".

Mr Hill, who spent 16 years in jail before his conviction for the series of 1970s IRA pub bombings in the Midlands was quashed, said he was now helping 43-year-old get his life back on track.

It also emerged today that Richey has met with a top clinical psychologist who specialises in helping ex-prisoners cope with life after jail.

Richey, who has been drinking nearly every day since his return to Edinburgh in January, has reportedly spent £11,000 of the £20,000 he made from a series of newspaper deals on his release.

Mr Hill, who runs the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (Mojo), said Richey had turned to him in desperation.

He said: "Kenny is getting pulled apart by emotions. On Friday he was close to exploding. He's terrified of the anger within him. Those of us who have spent time in prison and been wrongly convicted are in a constant battle with ourselves.

"When you get out of prison people think it is a great big victory but if it is, it is an empty, hollow one.

"After the initial euphoria, very shortly you realise you don't fit in. The people outside can't relate to you and you can't relate to them."

Mr Hill, who first spoke to Richey ten years ago while he was still in prison in Ohio, said he had offered his full support.

He said: "Kenny knows I'm here for him. I told him, when you are low and you feel suicidal, you feel anger, pick up the phone and phone me. I will sit and talk to him.

"This is the best thing we can do. I told him I've been down this road before and it's not a nice road."

Richey, who spent 21 years on Death Row before being released, hit the headlines over the weekend after being pictured allegedly snorting cocaine.

Despite insisting he had been "set up" and was only pretending to take the Class A drug during a drunken party, he said the latest stories about him had left him contemplating suicide.

Today Richey said he hoped meeting with Mr Hill could help him get his life back together.

"Paddy has mostly been someone to talk to about what has happened and where to go from here. He's been through a similar experience and can give me advice.

"I've been writing to him for years and, I can say, you won't get a better friend than Paddy.

"One day I hope to be able to help people like him, but I have to get my life in order first and Paddy can help me with that."

Richey is set to attend a Mojo conference in Glasgow City Chambers on April 21 and 22 on post-trauma among ex-prisoners.

'HE'S SUFFERING A SEVERE PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTION'
KENNY RICHEY is now seeing forensic clinical psychologist Dr Ian Stephen, who spent 40 years working for the Scottish Prison Service and now works alongside the Mojo charity.

Dr Stephen said: "What Kenny is experiencing is a very normal reaction to an abnormal situation.

"When these guys come out of prison there is a honeymoon period but then they are suddenly hit by a dreadful down feeling. It is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"You've spent all your time in prison fighting your case but when you come out you've nothing else to fight. You feel empty and let down. You can't cope with living with people and you feel very irritable.

"Kenny is very early on in this process . . . he is suffering a severe psychological reaction to his period in prison."