Press Releases & Updates 2001

Susan van der Hijden (32), from Amsterdam, and Father Martin Newell (33), from Canning Town in London, were charged with criminal damage, totalling £31000, after disarmament work on a nuclear weapon convoy truck at Wittering in November last year.

In passing sentence Justice Darroch advised Susan and Martin that they were technically on parole and could be brought back to complete their sentence if they re-offended during the next six months. He also warned them that they would be facing a more severe sentence if they "committed such an offence" again.

Susan and Martin have been found guilty in the same week that the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland not only reaffirmed its implacable opposition to Trident but gave specific encouragement to civil resistance against it.

A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said: "It is unfortunate that the jury got it wrong but much more disturbing is the way Justice Darroch ensured they did not have the full facts by blocking expert witnesses and not allowing the jury to hear the defence’s legal arguments. He appears to be uncritically supportive of the criminal activities of this nuclear weapon state. We look forward to the day when a genuinely independent justiciary will honestly face the implications of international humanitarian law. In the meantime the campaign continues and we take great encouragement from Susan and Martin’s courage, single-mindedness and humanity."

The two Jubilee Ploughshares activists found guilty by a majority verdict today in Chelmsford Crown Court have said that they will carry on their disarmament work in spite of the verdict.

Susan van der Hijden (32), from Amsterdam, and Father Martin Newell (33), from Canning Town in London, were charged with criminal damage, totalling £31000, after disarmament work on a nuclear weapon convoy truck at Wittering in November last year. Although sentenced to twelve months in prison they are now free since they have already served at least half that time on remand. Due either to an administrative shambles or a wish on the part of the authorities to cause the media to lose interest, it took several hours for the necessary paperwork to be completed and for Susan and Martin to be allowed to meet their friends outside the court.

Before a cheering crowd on the steps of the court Susan said: "Nothing that had been said in court has changed my mind. I am happy to be out and I am happy that we managed to convince two of the jurors. My immediate plans are to give talks and workshops but I would do what we did again."

Asked whether he would be willing to break the law again to challenge Trident Martin said that the only lawbreaking in this case was what the UK state was doing in threatening Trident. He had to take responsibility for what his country was doing, providing for his defence at the expense of people’s lives worldwide. He thanked his family for their support over the last six months.

The two have no plans at present to appeal the verdict.

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