Bracknell Man Freed After 20 Years Wrongly Imprisoned

Luke Ings, 38, from Bracknell, has been released after judges at Wolverhampton Crown Court quashed the detention-for-public-protection sentence that kept him locked up for 20 years after a 2006 robbery and assault when he was 17. He had been jailed for 21 months but held indefinitely until earlier this month; the case was brought before the court on October 7.

Speaking publicly for the first time since leaving prison he said: "Everything is like amazing to me. That's the word I keep describing, it's just amazing."

The world has changed a lot in two decades and he has spent the first week-and-a-half adjusting to everyday things from opening a bank account to using social media. His mother, Sam Ings, said he has been going at "100 miles an hour", desperate to take in everything.

He described the indefinite sentence as one of the hardest parts. "Putting the phone down every day after speaking to my little brother, my sister and my mother and knowing that I may never ever see them again, was really hard. I also realised I may never ever be able to hug my mum again or even go back to her house," he said.

After years of campaigning by his family the Criminal Cases Review Commission and politicians took up his case. Judges ruled the original sentence had been made in error and it was quashed.

Ms Ings recalled the courtroom moment: "I've never seen so many emotions in one room. When the verdict was read out there were lots of tears." "It is a shame Luke has lost 21 years of his life but we are so grateful for the Criminal Cases Review Commission. If it wasn't for them, Luke wouldn't be out."

Describing walking free, Mr Ings said it was "surreal": "My uncle picked me up with my mum, I gave them the biggest hug. Seeing my mum for the first time properly and seeing her smile, tears of joy and happiness in her eyes, it was the best feeling." He said the best thing since being home was "having my mum's roast."

Mother Sam said life at home has been an adjustment: "I have been waking up to cups of tea and one morning Luke was baking flapjacks at 7am." Mr Ings paid tribute to the CCRC team and the barristers who fought his case.

He was careful to acknowledge the victims: "I don't want to glamourise my crime or anything like that. I committed a crime, what I did was wrong. I can't take that back. I would like to apologise to the victims and let them know I am sorry. I just want to move on with my life now," he said.

He has been offered temporary accommodation in London while he is rehabilitated and says his ambitions are simple: "I want to buy myself a nice little canal boat and go travelling around, live my life with two little dogs," he said. "I just want to settle down and hopefully get a little job."

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter