Chapter: Bruce Kent — A Steadfast Ally in the Fight for Justice

When the Rough Justice documentary aired, its message was loud, confident, and deeply damaging. Presenter David Jessel declared that the programme would “lose no sleep over Gilbert,” a line delivered with certainty — and one that would echo painfully for years. For many viewers, that statement closed the door on doubt. For Bruce Kent, it flung the door wide open.

Bruce did not hesitate. Within hours he had drafted a detailed letter of complaint, challenging the programme’s claims and the way Ray Gilbert had been portrayed. He questioned the assumptions, the omissions, and the tone. He understood instinctively what many would only come to realise decades later: that the documentary contained serious errors, that its conclusions did not withstand scrutiny, and that its confidence was built on shaky ground.

Bruce’s intervention wasn’t a one‑off act of conscience. It was part of a long, unwavering commitment to Ray — a commitment rooted in fairness, humanity, and a refusal to look away when something was wrong. Throughout Ray’s decades behind bars, Bruce remained a constant presence. The prison photographs tell their own story: Bruce sitting beside Ray, smiling, grounded, offering the kind of steady companionship that cannot be faked. He wasn’t there for publicity or praise. He was there because he believed in justice, and he believed in Ray.

In a world where many people drift in and out of campaigns, Bruce stayed. He listened. He wrote letters. He visited. He challenged institutions when they failed to act. He offered dignity in a system that had stripped Ray of so much. His support was not loud or performative — it was patient, principled, and deeply human.

Those who knew Bruce describe him the same way: a dedicated champion for justice, a man of warmth and integrity, someone who carried his values into every room he entered. His advocacy for Ray was just one example of a lifetime spent standing alongside people who had been silenced, overlooked, or wronged.

Ray would not see freedom for 36 years. Through all of that time, Bruce Kent never wavered. His belief in Ray’s humanity — and in the need for truth — remained constant. In the long, difficult story of this case, Bruce’s presence is a reminder that justice is not only fought in courts and campaigns, but also in the quiet, persistent loyalty of people who refuse to give up.

A lovely man. A steady friend. And a voice of conscience when it was needed most.