Pink Castle Four Suffer Perversely Pricey Ping Pong Justice

[office at tlio.demon.co.uk]

Pink Castle Four Suffer Perversely Pricey Ping Pong Justice, 
16.12.2003 

4 anti GM activists ordered to pay up to £1000 court costs each for 
attempting to prevent planting of GM field trial 


On 15th December 2003 a District Judge in Weymouth, Dorset found 4 
anti-GM activists Liz Snook, Olaf Bayer, Richard Whistance and Will 
Hart guilty of aggravated trespass for attaching themselves to 
tractors in an attempt to prevent the sewing a farmscale trial of GM 
maize near Weymouth in May 2002. The four were given conditional 
discharges lasting 18 months, 1 person was ordered to pay £250 court 
costs and the other three were ordered to pay court costs of £1000 
each. 

Some of the activists are planning to refuse to pay their court costs 
and are willing to go to prison if need be. Others due to personal 
circumstances are going to have to pay their court costs and would 
really appreciate any help that people are able to offer in paying 
their costs. offers of help should be sent to  
info at geneticsaction.org.uk 

Yesterdays guilty verdict and sentencing marks the end of a drawn out 
and contradictory legal process. In March 2003 all 4 activists were 
cleared of aggravated trespass by the same District Judge. At the 
original trial, he commented that the four had acted in 
a "reasonable" way and said "I can see you all have huge knowledge of 
GM crops and I can see you were 
acting to protect the land and animals." 

However, in November 2003 following a successful appeal by the 
Director of Public Prosecution, 2 high court judges overturned the 
District Judges earlier decision, and ruled that the four activists 
should be sent back to the magistrates court with an order to convict 
and sentence and them. 

for more information on the Pink Castle action go to  
http://swiops.tincan.co.uk/mirrors/dorset/ 

for more information on previous court cases go to 

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/11/279959.html 
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/03/56423.html

 Homepage: http://swiops.tincan.co.uk/mirrors/dorset/