Two weeks ago, Chris Hollowed left jail after serving six months for dealing heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Harrogate.
Since then, he has left his family in Harrogate to start a new life in Rotherham, away from old friends and haunts and, hopefully, old habits.
Drugs have scarred his life and after he was sentenced in March his daughter Mel Bowman got in touch to say her dad had never denied his guilt but she felt he had been let down by a lack of support.
She also wanted to convey that her dad was more than a ‘junkie’: he’s worked as a builder, decorator, plasterer and mechanic and has been a great support to many others.
Mr Hollowed agreed to talk frankly to the Stray Ferret about his experiences to give people an insight into how life can spiral out of control.
Harrogate council estate
He traces his problems back to growing up on the St Andrew’s council estate in Harrogate. His parents divorced at the age of six. He says:
“I’m the eldest of four children so I was allowed out a bit later and sent to the shops so I ended up knocking around with older boys. There was always a criminal element on the estate where I lived and I just fitted in.
“I started smoking cannabis when I was 12 or 13. At 16 I was sent to Borstal for stealing cars.
“When I went to Borstal I thought it was cool because there were older boys. I didn’t understand the lifestyle consequences.”
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Drugs have continued to scar Mr Hollowed, who has had several relationships and been homeless. He says it was a “natural progression” from cannabis to harder drugs.
“It doesn’t happen to everybody but when you smoke cannabis you can go from one drug to the next and they become more and more expensive. I’ve done everything you’d expect from an addict. Heroin is a completely different drug. It doesn’t just affect you mentally, it affects you physically.”
Clean from heroin
Mr Hollowed was jailed for a third time in March when he admitted two counts of supplying class A drugs last year. The court heard he had 105 offences on his record. His lawyer said he had an “entrenched” drug addiction dating back over 20 years, which had taken a heavy toll on his health. He was jailed in March and released on September 13.
He says he’s been clean from heroin for six months but was prescribed methadone in prison.
“I’m now on no drugs and no medication. Nothing.”
He’s living in a hostel in Rotherham with two other men. He says:
“I’ve had to leave my home town and family. If I go to Harrogate I will fail. I’m not saying I won’t fail here but I have a chance.
“I’m an older man now and can just walk my dog. I don’t need to be part of a clique anymore. My whole life has been consumed by drugs.
“I’m changing everything. I’m hoping to work for the local drug agency. I’m waiting to do exams. I’m 56. I’ve got 15 years of work I can give back. The lesson is it all starts with cannabis. But I need training.”
He makes no great promises about the future.
“I’ve talked to my daughter and ex-girlfriend and I have tried to get myself clean many times. In five years time I might be a success. Right now I’m not a success.”
He hopes to help others and that his story will help others view him and others with drug addictions in a more nuanced way.
Lack of support and compassion
His daughter, Mel Bowman, also wants people to know her dad’s situation is more complex than many people think and urges them to show compassion.
“He’s a great guy, he made bad choices and spent his life trying to make up for it.
“People will always overlook him as a person as just a junkie, it’s a lack of compassion and understanding that draws people to that conclusion.
“It’s easy to write people off under a stereotype, not so easy to offer help and support but he would be the first person to offer it if the shoe was on the other foot.”
Ms Bowman adds her dad got little response from employers when he was honest enough to admit he was a recovering addict.
“He eventually went and sought comfort from his past after getting no where with his future. Obviously drug users can’t be babysat and they don’t want that, they need to be reinstated into society with support and shown respect as you would give any other human.
“Also they can’t get the implant of the blocker anymore, which is key to supporting users through those first few months of recovery. You can get a tablet but that means you’re relying on willpower alone, which isn’t easy.
“It’s these types of things that would really help. On paper the support is there but in reality it’s not there quick enough and not easily accessible.”
