Campaigner jailed for trespass at US radar base
Lindis Percy, the veteran campaigner against US bases in Britain, was yesterday sentenced to one month in jail. Christine Dean, a fellow member of the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases, said Percy was sentenced at Scarborough magistrates court after being found guilty of aggravated trespass at the Fylingdales early warning radar station in North Yorkshire. The station was recently upgraded and will be part of America's missile defence system. Percy, convicted under the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, has been jailed before for her protests.
Richard Norton-Taylor
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/16/3
Lindis convicted and sent to Low Newton Woman's prison.
Press Release- 15th May 2008
Lindis was convicted under section 69(1) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and sent today to Low Newton Woman's prison for one month.
On the 1st October 2007, Lindis was forcibly removed by MoD police from land at the base in Fylindales. She was given a warning that if she returned within three months she would be charged with Aggravated Trespass.
Lindis immediately returned saying that the first warning was not valid as she was obviously not a woman intent on Aggravated Trespass, she was simply "walking on the moors". She was then arrested and charged with Aggravated Trespass.
Caab maintains the inadequacy of the Flylindales byelaws which are unlawful and unenforceable and make the MoD police resort to charges of Aggravated trespass. This charge was never intended for people peacefully walking on the land of the country they were born in.
The female District Judge Harrison (resident District Judge at Doncaster) would not countenance any discussion in court today about the byelaws. Caab believes these byelaws will have to be clarified so that people in the locality of Fylindales are certain of where the law stands. Badly written byelaws are a travesty of justice.
Lindis declined to accept a Community Service Order and neither would she accept a curfew order.
Lindis is in Low Newton Woman's Prison, Brasside, Durham, DH1 5YA. Please send messages of support to her there.
With hopes for justice,
Christine Dean, Anni Rainbow and Laila Packer