Overview

• Ian Ball has been at liberty since 2019 after 45 years in Rampton and Broadmoor and continues to campaign to overturn his conviction.
• In his self-published book To Kidnap a Princess, Ball insists the March 1974 attack was a staged hoax and denies his bullets contained gunpowder.
• He alleges that a friend within the police force helped orchestrate the supposed hoax to generate publicity for his autobiography.
• Ronnie “The Geezer” Russell, who earned a George Medal for subduing Ball, has condemned his release and demanded Ball’s recall to Broadmoor.
• Ball’s use of state benefits to fund holidays in Barbados and Japan has drawn fresh criticism over his reintegration.