After being convicted of aggravated trespass at Cirencester magstrates court in feburary this year i finally got to be sentenced in Cheltenham today.
This was my 13th trip to Gloucestershire on this matter - 3 times on police bail to Stroud, six visits to Cirencester magistrates, and four to Cheltenham.
At last they powers that be decided to sentence me.
The afternoon was not without incident - after the clerk read out the details of the offence to the magistrates two of them informed the court that they were perhaps slightly biased, one worked for "a government agency that works with the MoD" - hmm, in cheltenham, i wonder where that might be..... - and another's son had just been posted to Iraq.
So, upon my request, that bench was swapped for the one sitting in the next court. i didnt dare ask if they had any other interests for fear of it being adjourned foir the umpteenth time...
The original smarmy, badly dressed prosecutor, Mr Moorhouse, was unfortunately not there for the final part of my dealings with the Gloucstershire courts, and so was unable to be bemused by my choice of McKenzie friend, the person who was previously my co-defendant (let off on a technicality) sitting with me in the dock again.
This prosecutor, Derek, dressed in a very fetching velvet suit, went on at length about irrelevant detail that had nothing to do with my conviction (something about damamge to some landing lights apparently to the value of over 3 grand...)
Very well done to whoever did it, but nothing to do with me i'm afraid.
He then wittered on about how i was on bail for two other offences at the time -naughty me!
Anyway, i addressed the magistrates for a while, trying to persuade thenm that a conditional discharge would be an appropriate punishment... i explained the circumstances surrounding my previous convictions and they actualy seemed quite impressed by the fact that one of them was for trashing some GM crops, who'd've thought a prevoius conviction could work to your advantage, eh?
So, they retired for a coffe, sorry, i mean to deliberate.
half an hour later they came back, caffinated, to tell me that since i already had two conditional discharges they'd give me a community punishment order this time. so 40 hours community service it is, well unless i win my appeal of course.... :)
(for some unknown reason) spoke to corporate media outside after and, suprise suprise, they misquoted me, oh well....
Good luck to the remaining fairford peace protesters who are up in Bristol, at least you have a chance, you have juries ;)
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
With the benefit of hindsight...
13.05.2004 08:12
having seen Iraq get bombed to smithereens and then occupied by a gang of murderers and rapists - any regrets about doing your bit to try and stop it? (Rhetorical question).
Well done you.
Squatticus
Well done
13.05.2004 13:36
Do you think you can manage 40 hours worth of trying to stop a crazy establishment waging an illegal war?
Hermes
community service tip
13.05.2004 16:22
bob
Qucik Question
13.05.2004 20:34
Do you get paid at all for community service? i really hope so. it sounds like such a good way to make a living for a while. do something well-meaning & then get paid to do something else well-meaning as a punishment...
woggle
solidarity
13.05.2004 23:31
You may have been found guilty by the courts, but you can be rightly proud of protesting. If it is a crime to try and stop an illegal colonial war, then the world has truely gone mad.
it is Bush and Blair who are the guilty men, and I hope that one day justice will be meted out to them.
For more on Fairford:
http://freespace.virgin.net/swindon.stopwar/fairford.htm
Older stories and analysis:
http://freespace.virgin.net/swindon.stopwar/fairford_allnews.htm
Andy
e-mail: Swindon@stopwar.org.uk
Homepage: http://freespace.virgin.net/swindon.stopwar/index.htm
Community service
14.05.2004 13:35
the Bolton distiller
thanks
14.05.2004 22:30
i guess the community punishment / forced labour will keep me out of trouble for a few weeks ;)
laura
Great Job
27.06.2006 12:17
Hippie Killer
e-mail: dirkadirka@hotmail.com