An activist was given a 12 month conditional discharge for criminal damage and ordered to pay £364 costs at Solihull magistrates yesterday for 'scuffing' a Caterkiller boss' comapny car. The activist was involved in a protest in June last year against Caterkiller's sale of D9, D10 and D11 armoured bulldozers to the Israeli military.
These bulldozers are used in the demolition of Palestinian homes, the construction of the Apartheid Wall and the destruction of Palestinian olive trees and farmland, all of which is illegal under internatinal law.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/06/293990.html
http://www.ism-london.org.uk
The activist had recently returned from Palestine where he had witnessed first-hand the destruction of Palestinian lives by Caterkiller's bulldozers. Unfortunately the District Judge failed to see the irony of the criminal damage charge as he professed ignorance of the purpose of the peaceful protest which was 'immaterial'.
The conviction was secured despite numerous discrepancies and omissions on the part of the Prosecutor, the District Judge and the Defence Barrister:
1. No photgraphic evidence of the 'damaged' car was produced by the prosection whose case rested solely on the word of the Caterkiller boss. In his summing up the judge stated that the evidence was purely circumstantial.
2 Although the judge stated that he believed the defendant to be of good character he later said that he didn't believe his evidence. Perhaps this was because the Defence Barrister gave the judge the impression at the start that the defendant was accepting reckless behaviour although this was later denied by the defendant. The judge chose to interpret the video evidence of the defendant moving accross the car in order to remove the banner from it's path as deliberately and recklessly obstructing the car. In order for the banner to be moved to let the car through one of the banner-holders would have to move across it or does he belive activists have the power of flight ?!
3. The Defence Barrister chose not to call any of the Defence Witnesses despite 4 being present at the court - she had a meeting to attend later.
4. The only prosecution witness made a statement that he was willing to testify that he had seen the defendant jump on the car.
5. The Defence Barrister showed herself to be totally unprepared and was unwilling to challenge the Prosecution case throughout.
These are just some of the more salient points about the mistrial in Solihull the defendant will be appealing.
Some activists at the same action are suing the police for wrongful arrest for being nicked under legislation relating to anti social behaviour when they didn't give their naames and addresses. They spent up to 13 hours in the cells following the arrest.
Earlier yesterday activists greeted workers at Caterkiller Financial Services HQ in Hockley Heath with street theatre showing the abuse and humiliation Palestianians are subjected to on a daily basis in Gaza and the West Bank. Activists had the pics taken by private security and were told to leave 'private property' - this is in fact a public footpath that runs through Caterkiller's car park. One worker said she was 'just going to work like everyone else', a breathtaking justification of Caterkiller's murderous activities.
To join the campaign please contact
thewallmustfall@hotmail.com
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/06/293990.html http://www.ism-london.org.uk The activist had recently returned from Palestine where he had witnessed first-hand the destruction of Palestinian lives by Caterkiller's bulldozers. Unfortunately the District Judge failed to see the irony of the criminal damage charge as he professed ignorance of the purpose of the peaceful protest which was 'immaterial'.
The conviction was secured despite numerous discrepancies and omissions on the part of the Prosecutor, the District Judge and the Defence Barrister:
1. No photgraphic evidence of the 'damaged' car was produced by the prosection whose case rested solely on the word of the Caterkiller boss. In his summing up the judge stated that the evidence was purely circumstantial.
2 Although the judge stated that he believed the defendant to be of good character he later said that he didn't believe his evidence. Perhaps this was because the Defence Barrister gave the judge the impression at the start that the defendant was accepting reckless behaviour although this was later denied by the defendant. The judge chose to interpret the video evidence of the defendant moving accross the car in order to remove the banner from it's path as deliberately and recklessly obstructing the car. In order for the banner to be moved to let the car through one of the banner-holders would have to move across it or does he belive activists have the power of flight ?!
3. The Defence Barrister chose not to call any of the Defence Witnesses despite 4 being present at the court - she had a meeting to attend later.
4. The only prosecution witness made a statement that he was willing to testify that he had seen the defendant jump on the car.
5. The Defence Barrister showed herself to be totally unprepared and was unwilling to challenge the Prosecution case throughout.
These are just some of the more salient points about the mistrial in Solihull the defendant will be appealing.
Some activists at the same action are suing the police for wrongful arrest for being nicked under legislation relating to anti social behaviour when they didn't give their naames and addresses. They spent up to 13 hours in the cells following the arrest.
Earlier yesterday activists greeted workers at Caterkiller Financial Services HQ in Hockley Heath with street theatre showing the abuse and humiliation Palestianians are subjected to on a daily basis in Gaza and the West Bank. Activists had the pics taken by private security and were told to leave 'private property' - this is in fact a public footpath that runs through Caterkiller's car park. One worker said she was 'just going to work like everyone else', a breathtaking justification of Caterkiller's murderous activities.
To join the campaign please contact
thewallmustfall@hotmail.com 
e-mail:
Comments
Hide the following 16 comments
Caterkiller pics
18.01.2005 15:42
the 'criminal damage' taking place
the real Criminal Damage
protesters in Caterkiller's car park
outside Caterkiller
car park theatre for the Caterkiller workers
anti-Caterkiller
Why
18.01.2005 18:54
What a joke and what a perfect example of pretend activism that is all about gestures for a few years until the reality of job / house / wife / children teaches you what the actual important things in the world are.
Ryan
Well said Ryan
19.01.2005 09:33
Leam
Yet another post from Israeli disinformationists.
19.01.2005 11:15
Anyone want to comment on the 11 000 homes demolished in contravention of International Law?
Or is it easier to make up stories about young students involved in lifestyle activism?
:)
ftp
errr what ?
19.01.2005 12:46
They are all Brummie students !!!
I'm not saying what they are doing is wrong but Ryan is rigt about one thing they are mostly middle class kids who never do much beyond annoying a few local people outside Caterkiller.
Brummie
NOT STUDENTS
19.01.2005 13:46
PROTESTER
oi mister plod!!!
19.01.2005 14:19
ftp
OK
19.01.2005 14:25
I'm confident about this because one of them is an ex-boyfriend !
Lisa
What about criminal damage to Israel
19.01.2005 16:24
Or the families they have torn apart
Or the maimings they have caused
Or the lives destroyed by violence and indiscriminate attacks on civilians of all ages, faiths and ages.
Terrorism built the fence - the fence saves lives (the massive fall in bombs proves this - and it is 3% wall (where the snipers were) and 97% fence).
You have no idea what it is to live in fear every time your children take a bus.
You have no idea what it is like to call your friends to check they are all ok when their bus route is hit.
You have no idea what it is to bury children killed by a bomber.
You have no idea what it is like in Sderot where kassam rockets are aimed at kindergartens.
You are apologists for terror and your support makes you complicit - so maybe I should protest outside your homes and sit on your cars.
Israeli
Lisa again
19.01.2005 16:43
Having previously claimed expert knowledge of Manchester Uni's student population whilst planting tedious disinfo that a very real journalist was fictional, Lisa's back with her comprehensive database on all students to lie some more!
"they are ALL students at the university"
Completely untrue, and completely irrelevant. Goodbye.
brum
?
19.01.2005 18:40
Not Lisa but could have been
The trouble started after ......
19.01.2005 23:38
"Perhaps the Hamas leaders should be arrested for criminal damage to the Israeli buses, nightclubs and cafes they have blown up."
Hoo boy, welcome to the 21st century -how the hell do you arrest assassinated people?
"Or the families they have torn apart "
"You are apologists for terror and your support makes you complicit - so maybe I should protest outside your homes and sit on your cars."
Ding dong - there's someone at the door......
You can sit on my car anytime baby!!!!
ftp
FTP you are disgusting
20.01.2005 15:30
However I cannot help but feel for families who lose people in terror attacks. The Israeli made a very fair point 'FTP' whoever you are - you are utterly disrespectful.
If families lose people that is terrible. If people are maimed, is that funny?
So why make fun of it. A serious point was made - perhaps Israeli lives are to be laughed at in your opinion.
Perhaps they do not count.
And if someone who dispatches bombers is assasinated - then good - it is what they deserve.
Previously neutral
Previously neutral?
20.01.2005 19:11
I do find it faintly amusing when the pro-Israel lobby start screaming about "innocent civilians"......... we ALL know which "innocent civilians" sustain the most oppression, killings, maimings, torture, imprisonment, landthefts, lost incomes.
Oh yes we do, oh yes indeedy!
Theres been a fair bit of trolling nonsense on this thread - Lisa claiming that the protests were the work of middle class Brum students, misrepresentations of the position of posters, misrepresentations of "the terror", threats to sit on non-existent cars, and previously neutral zionist lickspittles.
Ho hum, tiddly om pum....
ftp
Magnifying Car Scratchings
21.01.2005 09:10
Court, were thrown out. 8 of 11 demonstraters, outside Caterpillars Solihull
Offices, were arrested and, eventually tried, for Public Order offenses.
Their charges were all quashed - bar one. Allegedly, one defendent had
caused "Criminal Damage" to a bright blue car, driven by a Caterpillar
Operations Manager. Were the windows smashed, the bonnet crushed, or all the
tyres let down? No, but - horror of horrors! - there was a barely
discernable scratch-mark in the paintwork!
We were treated to a video showing - neither Mickey Mouse nor Ingmar Bergman
- from the scene of the "crime". Not unduly sharp, nor absolutely complete.
"It's frozen, at the moment!", exclaimed the Prosecutor, manouvering his
remote control. The Caterpillar employee witnessed how he had pleaded, with
demonstraters, to please let him through. One man had remained on the
vehicle. The driver requested names/addresses. When asking for the
organiser, protesters had replied that there
was none. Prosector asked whether the driver had driven into anyone - this
was denied. Defense suggested that moving the car forward, whist large
banners covered the view, was quite dangerous. - When this witness left the
stand, he was advised, by District Judge, not to converse with other
witnesses outside the Courtroom. Superfluous advice, as those (Defense)
witnesses were never called.
District Judge, in summing up, declared that the driver had found himself
effectively surrounded. Even though the Defendent had checked, afterwards,
if there was any damage, he had found none. The driver had admitted that the
scratch-mark was minute. But the Judge countered that
"Minor damage is still damage." He concluded, "beyond reasonable doubt" &
circumstantially, that the damage was caused by the Defendent.
The verdict was unexpected: £364.- in costs imposed upon our "guilty"
friend, from Brighton. Most of those present felt proceedings should never
have been brought over such utterly trivial damage.
Though classed as "criminal" proceedings, we shouldn't forget the political
context. Caterpillar, for the sake of earning millions of (blood-tainted)
greenback dollars, bears no responsibility for the destruction of
countless Palestinian homes and lives. Will Caterpillar ever be taken to
Court, for Crimes Against Humanity?
Bert Gedin
e-mail:
gedinbert@hotmail.com
Caterkiller 8 to sue West Midlands Police
21.01.2005 09:15
Jan 18 2005
By James Cartledge, Evening Mail
Peace campaigners are set to sue the police over claims they were wrongfully arrested during a demonstration in Solihull.
Eight Palestine Solidarity Campaign pickets are to take legal action against West Midlands Police after Antisocial Behaviour Act charges against them were dropped.
The activists claimed their arrests, made at a rally outside the Solihull offices of industrial equipment company Caterpillar last June,were unlawful.
Chris Osmond, of the campaign's Brighton and Hove branch, said the arrests were unjustified because the group was performing street theatre and not breaking the law.
He said: "The police stopped a lawful protest in an unlawful way. Officers asked for our names and we asked why they wanted them.
"Without answering, they arrested us. We were not acting in an anti-social manner."
Mr Osmond said he had already consulted a solicitor and been told he had grounds for action.
The protest was held because Caterpillar supplies Israel with bulldozers allegedly used to clear Palestinian homes and farmland.
Charges continued against only one protester, Simon Levin, who faced Solihull Magistrates' Court yesterday accused of causing criminal damage.
A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: "Our professional standards department is investigating complaints made following the incident."
A Caterpillar spokesman said the firm did not have the "legal right nor the means" to police the use of its equipment around the world.
Caterkiller - you ARE the weakest link!