Press Releases & Updates 2000
20th September 2000
Trident Jury Hung On Second Charge
Friday Decision on Retrial
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After finding them Not Guilty yesterday on one charge, the jury in the
Manchester Crown Court trial of nuclear disarmers Rosie James and Rachel
Wenham has been discharged after being unable to agree on the other charge.
The women were each charged with two counts of criminal damage to Trident
submarine HMS Vengeance at Barrow in February 1999. Yesterday, after four
hours of deliberation, the jury returned with a majority verdict of Not
Guilty for both women on the second count of spray-painting "Death Machine
and "Illegal" on the vessel. Today, after retiring for a total of 6 hours
13 minutes, the jury were unable to reach a verdict on the first count of
hammering test equipment. The prosecution now has until 2 p.m. on Friday to
state before the court whether the Crown Prosecution Service intends to ask
for them to be tried again.
A spokeswoman for the women’s affinity group, Aldermaston Women Trash
Trident, said:
"We see this outcome as a victory. Our case clearly caused a
serious dilemma for the jury and it shows that instinctive morality is
alive and well. If there is a retrial it will be the third appearance in
the dock for these women in this case. We believe it will be a complete
waste of public money to add to the £1.5 billion already being spent this
year on the Trident system."
Ms Wenham said:
"Despite the efforts of the UK government, this case has
shown that the moral conscience of the British people is alive and kicking!
An English jury has seen the truth about Britain’s nuclear weapons system
and has questioned the moral and legal legitimacy of Trident."
[Update: It actually took the CPS two weeks to decide if there was to be a retrial of Rosie and Rachel. The retrial of the century (well actually, spanning the centuries) will now take place in Manchester crown court from 3 April 2001.
Rachel is glad that the retrial is going ahead and "looking forward to
sharing the horrendousness of the Trident missile system with another
jury", and hopes to present her own defence this time. Rosie will be
represented by Vera Baird.
Bets are being taken on how much the prosecution will value the damage to
the testing system at this time (in previous trials this has varied from
£3,000 to almost £1 million. All proceeds will go to the AWTT trial fund - cheques payable to AWPC (Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp), c/o 30, Golwg y bryn, Pantyffordd, Neath SA10 9BY.
The winner gets the satisfaction of knowing they were right!]
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