8 March 2011 Baljit Ubhey Chief Crown Prosecutor Berkshire Branch Eaton Court 112 Oxford Road Reading Berkshire RG1 7LL Dear Sir/Madam Re: TRIAL OF ANTONY BEBBINGTON It has long been established and recognised that victims, especially of the most serious crime, homicide, should be involved in the prosecution status. We, the Howkins family, have been excluded from what can arguably be the most important aspect of this process, the sentencing. The sentencing of Antony Bebbington was due to take place at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday 15 December 2010 but actually happened on Monday 13 December 2010 without our acknowledgement. It is our understanding that the Police (Thames Valley) were also not informed of this change. We, the family, feel cheated, upset and angry that we were not given the opportunity of seeing the offender getting the sentence he deserved for killing our beloved brother/son, Paul Howkins. The sentencing would have been part of our healing process and would most definitely of helped my parents & close family with their bereavement with regard to some sort of closure. This has been denied them. It is wholly inappropriate that we were not informed of this change of date and in our eyes this reflects a failure by the CPS. We seek an appropriate explanation, by a senior member of the CPS, as to why this change of date happened without our acknowledgement and that of the Police. We feel we have been badly let down by the system that is there to support us. We do however feel lessons need to be learnt from this so that other families do not suffer this way like we have. Yours faithfully Mr Darren Howkins (Brother of Paul Howkins)