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One of Damilola Taylor's killers was back behind bars today - only 16 days after being released from jail. Ricky Preddie (pictured left) was recalled to prison last night after breaching the terms of his parole
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Prison bullies are making Langham's life hell, says wife
Last updated at 19:22pm on 21.09.07Chris Langham has been tormented and bullied since being jailed for ten months for child-porn offences, his wife has said.
The 58-year-old actor has been pelted with missiles, taunted and had his cell flooded by other prisoners while being ignored by guards, according to Christine Cartwright.
She has stayed loyal to the Bafta-winning star despite his conviction for downloading internet material including vile footage of an eight-year- old being abused by her father.
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Still loyal: Christine Cartwright with her husband Chris Langham
Emotion: The actor after testifying during his trial
Miss Cartwright, 54, wept with emotion as she spoke in detail for the first time about her husband's conviction, saying she was keen for their two young children to visit him.
"He's been verbally abused, taunted continuously, had missiles thrown at him and his cell flooded out by other prisoners," she said.
"He is trying to be a model prisoner. He says 'Good morning' to the prison officers, but they just tell him to shut up."
The choreographer and actress claimed Langham was guilty only of "stupidity, arrogance and ghoulish curiosity".
She insisted her husband, who won his Bafta for the BBC's The Thick Of It, was not a paedophile.
Langham, a father of five, was jailed last week for child-porn offences after a court rejected his defence that he was researching his BBC2 comedy Help.
Chris Langham poses with his three adult sons from his first marriage to actress Sue Jones-Davies
Miss Cartwright, of Cranbrook, Kent, added that she was fighting a ban on their children Emily, 13, and Harry, ten, visiting him in jail.
She said the children still adored their father and were upset because they were unable to visit, phone or write to him.
"We were not prepared and it was very difficult for the children," said Miss Cartwright. "It can only serve to further damage them."
The shamed comedian's three older sons from his first marriage are also standing by him.
Langham was in solitary confinement when he arrived at category-B Elmley Prison on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, but now shares a cell with two other sex offenders, said his wife.
She added that his prison identity card had been stolen and raised fears it would be put up for sale on eBay.
Miss Cartwright continued: "He is the most passionate person I know about the well-being of children - physically, mentally or emotionally.
"He believed that he might be beyond the law but did not consider the implications - but he is not a paedophile.
Langham's conviction for porn offences was a massive fall from grace for the actor, who won a Bafta for his starring role in hit political satire The Thick of It
"No one will punish themselves more than Chris, no amount of custody will punish him more than he will punish himself."
Her husband's court case had left the family in dire financial straits as they have legal fees running into tens of thousands of pounds. But selling their 14thcentury home was not an option she wanted to consider.
"I don't know where we go from here," she said. "Chris is very creative - he will make something of a dreadful situation. But I don't believe this is a life sentence. I believe in forgiveness.
"He is paying the price and he will continue to pay the price. But he has not lost his good character. We will always have it because no one can destroy his heart."
Miss Cartwright was notable by her absence from her husband's trial at Maidstone Crown Court.
But she insisted she had no thoughts of divorce and simply wanted to save their children from further embarrassment.
She added that friends had "stuck by" the family and hoped Langham would be freed early to be home by the New Year.
After he was jailed, police said the images he viewed were among the most shocking they had seen.
The abused eight-year-old girl's father has since been prosecuted.
Langham was also cleared of abusing a 14-year-old fan.
He will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years but no restrictions were placed on his return to the family home when he leaves jail.
Reader views (15)
My son is in prison for exactly the same offence as Chris. His life has been ruined by local news headlines describing him as a pervert. He is not, and would never harm a child. The voyeurs are an easy target. I daresay most people's hard drives contain things you wouldn't want your mum to see. It is about time we stopped locking up people who just look at these revolting pictures, and concentrated on those who take them.
- Pat, Cambs, 07/10/2007 17:25
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Bullying is vile and evil. Prison is bad enough without the added spectre of bullying on top.
Humiliating others because you feel that you are more self righteous than some one else is nasty and inhuman no matter where you are.
- Henry North, London UK, 26/09/2007 10:57
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There's no evidence Langham was guilty of anything other than ghoulish curiousity. What exactly did he 'do' to the children - nothing. If the police were really interested in breaking up the traffic in child porn they'd go after the credit card providers who make these websites possible - no danger of that when they can easily net a few high profile celebs. If this was really a free country Langham would still be a free man.
- Simon Evans, Peterborough, 24/09/2007 16:11
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And there's me thinking the prison officers went round each evening to dish out tea and cookies and a bed-time story just before lights-out. Perhaps Christine Cartwright thought the same!
- Steve R, London, UK, 22/09/2007 19:15
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Hope he gets it hard in prison. As for his family standing by him, it's early days. Soon they will not be able to take the humiliation any more from others. If he was my father I would have walked away quite easily. No one needs support when they do this to children, sick, sick, sick.
- L Peck, Cambridge, UK, 22/09/2007 17:09
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Let the punishment fit the crime !
- John Jones, Hampton, 22/09/2007 15:02
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What these people need is not jail, but community help, the jails are overcrowded enough as they are.
- Mark, London, 22/09/2007 14:14
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Good, I'm glad Langham has gone in there under the impression prison life is cosy. Have a taste of punishment.
- Stu, Tipton UK, 22/09/2007 12:19
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He was jailed for downloading child pornography, what does she expect?
- Casper, Ibiza Spain, 22/09/2007 03:51
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Haven't the Government made bullying in prisons illegal yet?
If they haven't done so yet, they should do so immediately. This behaviour is positively criminal. The offenders should be, er, locked up.
- Lawrence, London, 21/09/2007 23:57
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Whatever has happened, it is wrong to interfere with his children's expressed wish to see him: that is just punishing them when they have done nothing wrong themselves but to love their father.
- Roz, Chamonix, France, 21/09/2007 20:27
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I have been told by an ex-con that nearly all new inmates get roughed up as a sort of initiation. Some end up in hospital.
His problem is that he is a household name and he is confined with real criminals.
As for the PO's telling him to shut up? Maybe when he is released he can write a script ridiculing the prison service and staff (who I would not trust) to get his own back. Remember "Porridge"?
- P.Robinson, Northants, 21/09/2007 19:24
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Whether he is a paedophile or not - his wife suggests he is not - he downloaded disgusting pictures of children being abused - that is a punishable offence and he should not be surprised at being verbally abused etc - he is lucky to get away with that. Even most hardened prisoners don't like crimes connected with children. There is only one punishment fit for paedophiles, in my opinion, and that's castration!!
- Wooram, Alicante, Spain, 21/09/2007 18:26
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Christine Langham is in denial...
- Daizy, N England, 21/09/2007 18:10
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He is a complete disgrace. He should have been locked up for at least 10 years.
- Marina, East Anglia, 21/09/2007 17:46
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