Press Releases & Updates 2000

Retired company director Alan Wilkie, of Currie in Midlothian, was arrested last November while protesting against Britain’s Trident nuclear weapon system at the North Gate of the base, in which the UK’s Trident submarines are berthed. His trial was adjourned from 6th December last year when there was insufficient time in the day to hear the case for the defence. Today’s adjournment arose from the absence of the Procurator Fiscal who had heard the first half of the case. Justice of the Peace Scullion indicated that the Procurator Fiscal had a right to question Mr. Wilkie after his summing up and so the remainder of the trial had to be postponed.

A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said:

"While you cannot legislate for illness, the court could have shown a minimal consideration for Alan by letting him know beforehand. Having to turn up time and again for the same case is a way of penalising the innocent since the travel costs involved for Alan and his family and friends exceed any fine that might be imposed should he be found guilty. This may not be Crown ploy to harass disarmers but simply another example of the astonishing complacency and incompetence of the criminal justice system as experienced by our activists. This is true not only in Argyll and Bute, where there are frequent and unnecessary adjournments due to disorganisation on the part of the Crown, but also in England, as shown by the sloppiness of the Crown at the Lancaster trial of Rachel Wenham and Rosie James last week "

Alan Wilkie’s case is now set for 11th April 2000. Meanwhile Ploughshares activists are preparing for a major blockade of Faslane naval base on 14th February.

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