Press Releases & Updates 2001

Alison Crane (47), from Stafford, and Judith Pritchard (79) from Malvern, took part in a weekend of activities in May this year when a group of activists cut the fence and entered the establishment. Alison told the court her cutting the fence was the same as a fireman breaking down a door to rescue a person. She had intended to ask the workers she met if they knew the facts about nuclear weapons and she pointed out that nuclear attacks would be much worse than the terrorist attacks on New York. The current government strategy constituted a conspiracy and therefore a current crime. Incidental loss of civilian life was against the Geneva Conventions Act and was therefore part of statute law in England. If our nuclear weapons were ever used the UK could be brought to trial, if there were any courts left. This criminal conspiracy gave her the legal justification of necessity. Predictably, the prosecution relied on the Opinion in Hutchinson -v- Newbury Magistrates Court in arguing that she had no justification for her action.

Judith gave a moving and lucid speech from the witness stand. She claimed that she undertook the action from a purely moral position due to the urgency of the threat of annihilation.

Both were found guilty and given a conditional discharge, Alison for 18 months and Judith for 12. They were ordered to pay £140 compensation and £150 court costs.

A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said: "In these days of the ’Global War Against Terrorism’ the UK courts still give their full and unthinking support to a major terrorist - the UK state itself with its fearful arsenal of mass murder."

Printer friendly version

Home | Top