THE family of jailed hijacker Stephen Fray is making a last-ditch effort to have his 20-year prison sentence overturned, with the filing of an appeal with the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) Privy Council.

Earl Fray, Stephen’s father, told Observer West this week that they had initiated the process after Jamaica’s Court of Appeal upheld the guilty verdict handed down by Supreme Court Judge Sarah Thompson James in the Western Regional Gun Court in October 2009.

“We have sent off all the transcripts and everything we need and we are now waiting to hear when the case will be heard,” he said, adding that the firm of Oury and Clark in London will be handling the case on the family’s behalf.

Stephen, now 23-years-old, will remain in jail here while the appeal is heard in London, Fray said.

The family is contending that the young man, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, does not belong in a prison cell. He should, they said, instead be placed in an institution where his mental illness can be treated.

“He was not supposed to be sent to prison,” his father told Observer West. “Being in a prison cell is not helping Stephen; all that does is put more pressure on his brain.”

Stephen, he said, has to take medication on a regular basis to regulate his condition. Otherwise, Fray said his son will “hallucinate and hear voices in his head.”

According to the distraught father, he is not only seeking help for his son but for all young men with mental illness who are locked behind bars without the benefit of the familial support Stephen has.

“We have a strong family system and so Stephen gets visits every week. His mother lives in Mandeville and she goes there regularly; us here in Montego Bay go to see him as well,” he said.

Fray added that Stephen is typically in a good mood when his family visits. However, he was quick to point out that being locked away had taken a toll on the 23-year-old who told him that being there was “stressful” at times, especially when he does not get his medication.

The Privy Council appeal will come at a high cost, but the family has been receiving help. Montego Bay-based attorneys George and Martyn Thomas, who handled the case in 2009, and Jackie Samuels-Brown, who led the local appeal, have offered their help free-of-cost should it be required.

In addition, Fray said that businessman Robert Russell and his family had made the popular entertainment spot Pier One available to them, free of cost, for a fund-raising show last Thursday. Unfortunately, he said, the event did not go as well as expected, as heavy rains caused a low turnout. Another show is now being planned for that same venue in mid-August.

In October 2009, Stephen, then 21-years-old, was found guilty of charges including illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, shooting with intent, robbery with aggravation, and breaches of the Civil Aviation Act.

The verdict came six months after he got pass security at the Sangster International Airport, boarded CanJet flight 918 and held the passengers and crew hostage.

After relieving some of the passengers of their money and valuables, he let them go, but held on to eight crew members for almost eight hours as he negotiated with the security forces to be flown to neighbouring Cuba.

He was subsequently disarmed as negotiations broke down.

Neither crew members nor passengers were hurt in the ordeal.