Jeffrey Archer paroled after two years
The flamboyant former deputy chairman of Britain’s Conservative Party was driven out of Hollesley Bay Open Prison in Suffolk, southern England, by one of his sons.
The 63-year-old author, smartly dressed in a navy suit and patterned tie, was hugged by his wife, Mary, 58, as he returned to his rural mansion at Grantchester, central England.
In a statement, Archer, who was once a favourite of ex-prime minister Margaret Thatcher, thanked his family for their “unwavering and unstinting support” and signalled his intention to put “this unhappy period in my life” behind him.
Despite huge media interest in the latest episode of his colourful career, Archer added he would not be giving any interviews “for the forseeable future”.
Lord Archer, as he is known in Britain, is expected to use his liberty to campaign for prison reform, prompted by his experiences in jail.
Last week it emerged that after his release he planned to live at his luxury London penthouse, and not at the 17th-century family country mansion where his wife spends most of her time.
That sparked speculation that Archer, famous for his ability to bounce back from adversity, plans to try to re-establish himself on the political and social scene.
His penthouse by the River Thames, boasting a view of the Houses of Parliament, was the scene of champagne parties he used to throw for influential journalists, top politicians and other movers and shakers.
All that ended when Archer was jailed in 2001.
He had been found guilty of perjury and of perverting the course of justice in his 1987 libel suit against the tabloid Daily Star newspaper over claims he had slept with a prostitute.
Archer used faked diaries to win the libel case after the Star said he had slept with prostitute Monica Coghlan when he was Tory deputy chairman in 1986.
He also asked a friend, Ted Francis, for a false alibi. Archer’s downfall came about after Francis revealed he had been asked to lie.
One of the conditions of Archer’s parole licence will be that he reports regularly to probation officers for a year, who must also approve any kind of paid work the writer undertakes.
