Press Releases & Updates 2000

Brian Quail (61), a retired teacher and member of the Iona Community from Glasgow, was facing a charge of breach the peace, dating back to February 1999. Along with other activists at a Trident Ploughshares blockade of Faslane naval base, he had sat down in the gateway and refused to move. Brian, who defended himself, gave a powerful and coherent testimony in justification for his actions. His case was based firmly on the imperative to uphold international humanitarian law, which was clearly breached by the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons.

Justice of the Peace Gillies gave no explanation for his guilty verdict, even when Brian pled with him to explain where he had gone wrong. Earlier in the case, JP Gillies had failed to intervene when a police witness, Sergeant Ogilvie of Strathclyde Police, made the astonishing claim that he was unaware that Faslane was the base for the Trident nuclear submarines, which carry missiles with 100 kiloton warheads.

A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said:

"In failing even to explain his verdict, or to offer any refutation of Brian’s careful and humbly presented argument, JP Gillies showed contempt for Brian. The credibility of the District Court in Helensburgh is at a very low ebb indeed."

Brian will appeal the verdict. He said:

"How can justice be seen to be done when the verdict is rolled out automatically, without any reference to the evidence presented?"

Printer friendly version

Home | Top