On Saturday 8th August because of the effect on his wife and daughter and the changes in his circumstances since Friday's court hearing, Maurice has come off hunger strike. However, he is refusing all medication and will only eat food brought in by wife and friends and only drink tap water.
Legal proceedings have been instigated in regard to Maurice's inability to gain a bail application without the aid of a lawyer. The basis of which forms around the following past attempts:
On the 6th July bail hearing as witnessed by Maurice's son Alex, the judge refused to hear any applications. Maurice was presented via video link and was cut off before he could appeal the decision.
"The prison told me later that that he was the first person to attempt to apply for bail on the video link unrepresented" he says.
16th July, Judge N. Cooke was informed that the prisoner had refused to appear for that day's hearing. Maurice refutes this. On being informed of the court appearance, he asked the prison what it was about, so that he could make legal preparations. The prison informed him that it was not a court hearing and that if he wanted more information, he was to talk to his barrister via video link.
"This was both pointless and inaccurate advice. I did not have a barrister for one and as it turned out it was a court hearing," he says.
Maurice on hearing the news that he's missed a hearing, barricaded himself in his cell until he received, in writing, a proper explanation of what was going on.
30th July hearing: Maurice enquired of the prison regarding this hearing and was told "that it was none of his business."
7th August: a hearing to decide whether to allow a section 35 be applied to Maurice Kirk, took place at Cardiff Crown Court. The CPS were very surprised to hear that Maurice was in court for this one. It seemed they expected the decision to go through unopposed. Unfortunatley Maurice was unable to mount an effective defense since he had not been given, as requested, a copy of the psychiatric report until actually arriving at the court a few minutes earlier. Judge Llewellyn Jones approved the request that Maurice be sectioned and refused to allow Maurice's wish that the author of the report be brought into court on oath.
Maurice has been unable to defend himself at each turn of events. The courts and the prison service, it seems, do not recognise a prisoner without a lawyer present. Hence his application for a writ of habeas corpus.