Wife of Alan Willson wanted to speak with Harry Furlong before release

The Argus can now reveal that Harry Furlong, 18, was released from prison last Friday on home detention curfew, just 78 days after he was sentenced.

He served 126 days in prison in total, following his conviction.

He was sentenced to 20 months in prison for grievous bodily harm without intent on June 30 following the brutal attack on care worker Alan Willson on Easter Sunday last year.

Brothers Archie, 14, and George Tilley, 16, were sentenced to 12 years in prison for the attack, which has left the 47-year-old with permanent brain damage.

Harry Furlong at a court appearance

Alan's wife Annie Willson met with The Argus earlier this month before Furlong’s release and said she wanted the “chance to ask him why”.

She said: “I want to be the first person he sees when he comes out of prison.

"Even if he’s in the car, I want him to know that wherever he is, I will always be close behind.

“It gives me a chance to ask him why. Why did he do that? Surely he knows the difference between right and wrong. There was a little boy involved, why would you want to do that?

“It’s just like the Bulger killers all over again, they were ten. They were tried as adults, why weren’t Archie and George tried as adults? They knew what they were doing.

George, left, and Archie Tilley were jailed for 12 years each

“I want to ask Harry why did he do it?”

Furlong, from Horsham, handed himself in to police the day after the attack.

Alan confronted the boys after he was made aware of a bullying incident in the park.

Furlong claimed to punch Alan in the face once because he was holding onto his friend.

The boy who witnessed the attack said “they all started whacking him with like stumps or like really large thick sticks”.

Furlong, who was found guilty of grievous bodily harm without intent, was not classified as a dangerous offender and it was decided he would serve half his 20-month sentence, minus time spent on remand since being jailed in June, in custody and half in the community on license.

Longcroft Park the day of the attack

Annie said she will get her “revenge” by continuing to speak about the attack.

She also has plans to write a book on the ordeal.

She added: “Wherever you go George and Archie, I will not be far behind.

“When you think about the word revenge, it conjures up people going in for a fight. But for me, revenge is power.

“This is why I am telling the newspapers.

“If someone is going to live their day without giving you a second thought but will be there when you fall. Without having to push, without having to break the law in any shape or form."

Prisoners serving a sentence of at least 12 weeks but fewer than four years can be considered for release before their automatic release date under the home detention curfew scheme.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: “Offenders released on home detention curfew are strictly supervised with electronic tags and can be returned to prison for breaching their licence conditions.”