Press Releases & Updates 2000

Today, in Argyle and Bute District Court in Helensburgh, Justice of the Peace John McPhail turned down an adjournment plea from five activists, including two of the Trident Three, Angie Zelter and Ellen Moxley. It is the ruling of Sheriff Gimblett at their acquittal, in October last year, on criminal damage charges relating to their disarmament of the Trident research barge "Maytime", that is the subject of the Lord Advocates’ Reference (LAR). The LAR is to be held in the High Court of Justiciary from 9th October.

Angie Zelter has instructed a solicitor to appeal against the magistrate’s refusal of her plea, on the basis that his decision is an "abuse of process". She has indicated that she will take the matter as far as the European Court of Human Rights. She said: "The preliminary hearing for the LAR at the High Court yesterday gave us some hope that these proceedings will be fair and will look at the real issues raised by the Gimblett judgment. The presiding Judge, Lord Prosser, said that he and his colleagues on the bench would not dodge any of the issues. In contrast we have the continuing farcical performance of a local court that refuses to admit that it is well out of its depth."

In the same court today a warrant was issued for the arrest of Member of the Scottish Parliament Tommy Sheridan. Tommy was arrested at the "Crimebusters" blockade of Faslane naval base on 14th February this year and charged with breach of the peace. He was due to go to trial on 4th October. Describing the Argyle and Bute Court as "ludicrous" he refused to attend today’s Intermediate Diet on the grounds that the court had no right to try him for upholding the law.

On trial today were Marjan Willemsen (23), from the Netherlands and Ian Thomson (58). Marjan was fined £100 on a breach of the peace charge relating to a blockade of Coulport Naval Armaments Depot, where Trident warheads are stored, in August last year. Ian was fined £80 for his part in the "Crimebusters" blockade.

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