Hampered by a hearing impairment at eight years of age, the author was left to fend for himself in an education system that did not recognise his disability. A catalogue of hurdles followed: chastised by his father and abandoned by his family; betrayed by his wife, her family, friends and anyone else who could be persuaded to embark an a brutal and sustained campaign of bullying, character assassination, theft, vandalism and deception; deceived by the legal profession, cheated by the social services and mugged by the financial institutions and the government.

Sleepless nights and anxiety...