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Press Releases & Updates 2001
21st June 2001
Crown Abandons Case Against Anti-Trident Activists in Mid Trial
Sentence Deferred for Student Teacher in Second Case
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At Helensburgh District Court yesterday (20th June), the case against two
Trident Ploughshares activists was abandoned by the Procurator Fiscal in
the middle of their trial. In a second case, one accused was heavily
fined while another was given a deferred sentence.
Carol Kirby (36), from Oxford, and Niels de Boer (27), from the
Netherlands, were charged with a breach of the peace arising from an event
during the Trident Ploughshares disarmament camp last August. Carol and
Niels had attached themselves to each other with chain and tape and sat
down on either side of an MOD notice pole a few yards from the perimeter
fence on moorland at the Trident base at Coulport. Defending themselves
they cross-examined the two MOD police witnesses, questioning the claim
that their simple and peaceful protest had caused any alarm to anyone. They
then made a motion of "no case to answer" which was rejected by Justice of
the Peace John Macphail. After the court adjourned to give the accused time
to consider whether they would give evidence Mrs McDermit, the Procurator
Fiscal, who would have realised by this time that the charge was ludicrous,
told the JP that she was now accepting their not guilty plea.
In the following case student teacher Eleanor Stobo (27) from Lochgoilhead
and Frances Howe (21), a student from Brighton, were found guilty of
malicious mischief after cutting the perimeter fence of the same base, also
in August of last year. Frances, who cut the fence on two occasions, was
fined £150 on both counts. Eleanor told the JP that, in spite of the High
Court judgment on the Trident Three trial, he could not ignore the
principles of international humanitarian law. Trident was illegal and her
action against it was justified. In a moving plea of mitigation she told
him that she had ended her involvement in direct action to take up teaching
but hoped that in her new career she would be able to help youngsters to
think for themselves and develop their own ethical codes. JP Macphail
deferred sentence for six months.
Spokesperson David Mackenzie said: "Eleanor is spot on about the need for
people to think for themselves. By way of contrast it was so disturbing to
hear on TV on Tuesday a Trident submariner saying that if the order to fire
the missiles came through training would take over and he would not think
of the appalling consequences of his action."
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