Why a dad has spent 14 years in prison for stealing a mobile phone | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAmy-Clare MartinTuesday 24 March 2026 17:56 GMTRelated: Moment man wrongfully imprisoned for 17 years drives for first time after releaseThomas White, who has served almost 14 years under an indefinite Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence for stealing a mobile phone, is set to be returned to prison after only six months of hospital care.His family, led by his sister Pastor Clara White, is desperately appealing to Justice Secretary David Lammy to halt the transfer, fearing his mental health will rapidly decline without a release date.White was moved to a secure hospital unit last year after suffering severe mental health crises in prison, including setting himself alight, with clinicians now planning his return to custody.Medical reports indicate White suffers from learning difficulties, complex trauma, ADHD and a personality disorder, with his lengthy incarceration cited as a barrier to recovery.The case highlights the ongoing issues with IPP sentences, abolished in 2012 but not retrospectively, which still affect nearly 2,400 individuals, many of whom have developed profound mental health problems.In full‘Shameless cruelty’: Father held under indefinite jail term for stealing phone faces being sent back to prisonThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in