Chef Ramsay 'ignores' pleas from brother held in Bali jail over

His brother is the UK's richest celebrity chef, a multimillionaire as famous for partying with the Beckhams as he is for his Michelinstarred restaurants, TV shows and book deals, yet Ronald Ramsay's life is untouched by any trappings of success. Languishing in an Indonesian prison, Gordon's younger sibling faces up to 10 years in jail for the possession of heroin.

Speaking exclusively to The Independent on Sunday from his cell in Denpasar, Bali, Ronnie Ramsay claims that his brother has refused his pleas for aid, insisting: "I asked him for his help, he knows I need help. But he made his decision not to help me. I've heard nothing from my family. It's heartbreaking."

Arrested five months ago, the 38-year-old heroin addict says that he is now desperate for money, both to improve his living conditions and to fund his defence.

He is sharing a cell with eight men charged with crimes ranging from paedophilia to murder, and this cash would enable him to move to a private cell, as well as buying essentials such as soap and food.

Eric Siregar, Ramsay's lawyer, implies that money could also speed up his case: "Money can certainly help the lawyer here ... help the wheels of justice turn a little smoother," he said. "I don't know how his brother can be so cruel. He can help, but he chooses not to. I've tried to contact Gordon Ramsay three times but I haven't even received a reply," he added.

A spokesman for Gordon Ramsay, who has amassed a fortune of more than [pound]67m from an international string of restaurants, TV shows and books, told The Independent On Sunday: "We have no comment, as we have had no comment all along. This is a sensitive issue, and at times like this it is not fair on his mother."

The chef broke his silence in 2006, with the release of his best- selling autobiography Humble Pie, in which he talked candidly about helping his brother through rehab. The chef describes how he bought Ronnie a fix to get him to their father's funeral: "I thought it was better for him to be there and off his face than not be there at all," he wrote.

He is reported to have spent more than [pound]300,000 on his brother's rehabilitation, accommodation and job training.

Looking like a drug-ruined version of hiscelebrity brother, Ramsay acknowledges the assistance his family has given him in the past: "He's helped me out on a number of occasions ... he's made his decision and I've got to respect that."

While Ronnie Ramsay may have the same piercing blue eyes and craggy skin as his older brother, years of drug abuse have taken their toll. He is pencil thin, his arms are riddled with track marks and his legs are blighted with infected mosquito bites.

His heroin-addled physique is a far cry from that of the restaurateur, who completed last year's London marathon with his glamorous wife, Tana, and was cheered on by their four children.

While Gordon has remained close to sisters Diane and Yvonne and mother Helen, the family's history is not a happy one, marked as it is by tales of alcoholism and abuse.

Gordon describes his father, Gordon Snr, as a "hard-drinking womanis-er" whose violent behaviour made his young family fear for their lives. An aspiring rock star unable to hold down a job, their father frequently disappeared for long periods of time, leaving his family struggling for money.

Despite this turbulent background, Gordon Jnr was successful from a young age, initially achieving recognition as a footballer playing for Glasgow Rangers until injury ended his career at the age of 19.

Ignoring his father's insistence that "cooking is for poofs", Gordon moved into haute cuisine and trained with Marco Pierre White before going on to achieve worldwide recognition for his culinary skills.

Although he has enjoyed unparalleled professional success, Ramsay has also been criticised for his bad temper, courting controversy with frequent four-letter outbursts towards kitchen staff on his TV show Hell's Kitchen.

Ronnie Ramsay is adamant that if he is found innocent at his forthcoming trial, he will kick the addiction. "If I get out of here, that's the end of my drug habit. Next year I'll be 40. I don't think I've got very many more chances in this life."

His chances of acquittal may be slim, however. Indonesian courts are among the strictest in the world when dealing with drug-related crimes. This was illustrated last year when the Bali Nine, a group of young Australians, were sentenced to a firing squad for drug smuggling.

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