Press Releases & Updates 1999

Five women had their bail conditions lightened when they appeared at Barrow Magistrates Court today (Tuesday 2nd March), accused of causing criminal damage to the latest Trident submarine, HMS Vengeance. They will next appear in court on 27th April.

On February 1st Rosie James and Rachel Wenham swam to and boarded HMS Vengeance. They damaged test equipment before giving themselves up. Three other women , Janet Kilburn, Helen Harris & Louise Wilder, were arrested when they went to the Barrow police station to deliver clothing to the wet-suited swimmers. All of the five women are accused of causing £25,000 of criminal damage.

No plea or declaration was made but the court softened the harsh bail conditions. They will now simply be banned from Barrow itself and required to check in at their local police station once a week.

The women are members of Aldermaston Trash Trident, a Trident Ploughshares 2000 affinity group. They believe that Trident nuclear weapons are illegal under international law, and that in building, preparing and deploying them the British government is guilty of preparing for genocide.

While in Barrow for the court the group were able to check that HMS Vengeance, which had been due to begin its sea trials on February 28th, was still in the Marconi Marine/VSEL dockyard, and to ponder to what extent the delay was down to their disarming efforts.

Printer friendly version

Home | Top