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Press Releases & Updates 2002
27th August 2002
Fresh Accusations of District Court Ineptitude and Bias
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Trident Ploughshares campaigners will again submit a formal complaint about the conduct of Helensburgh District Court after another diet involving anti-Trident campaigners led to accusations of muddle, procedural gaffes and an unmistakable bias towards the Crown.
The accusations concern:
 The fact that the trial of Joy Mitchell for a Faslane demonstration was today adjourned because a Crown witness "was on his day off". While it is seen as appalling in itself that Strathclyde Police can treat the court and the accused in such a cavalier way, the presiding magistrate, Justice of the Peace Fraser Gillies, made no move to censure the missing witness or to issue a warrant, but simply brushed it off as an unfortunate circumstance. Joy had traveled from Berwick on Tweed for the trial and asked that her disgust be noted.
The fact that JP Gillies again accepted an informal estimate from the MoD in regard to damage to a fence at Coulport allegedly cut by Ulla Roder without allowing proper scrutiny by the defence, a procedural error already criticised in the High Court in connection with an anti-Trident case. Ulla was fined £300 for breaching the perimeter fence at Coulport in August 2000 (£100 on each of three charges, malicious mischief, being inside a prohibited area and failing to leave a prohibited area) and was ordered to pay compensation of £73 plus VAT. Court officials rescued JP Gillies from yet another gaffe when he began to give the sentence before seeking a plea in mitigation.
Ulla continues on remand in Cornton Vale prison until 11th September and faces another two trials.
Also on trial today was James Dockery who was fined £120 for taking part in the blockade of Faslane naval base last October.
Trident Ploughshares comment: "We have complained before to the Justices Committee about JP Gillies but it appears no-one there cares that the local court is so incompetent and prejudiced. We will take this issue further and will in particular ask Strathclyde Police whether they think it in order for one of their officers to fail to appear when cited just because he has decided to have a day off. To any ordinary person that will seem incredible but unfortunately it is entirely in line with the sloppy and complacent attitude to criminal justice in this area. It’s hard enough tackling Trident itself without this nonsense."
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