So, over 14 months after the "offence" i was finally sentenced for the henious crime of daring to protest at RAF Fairford last year against the illegal and immoral war in iraq.
After being convicted of aggravated trespass at Cirencester magstrates court in feburary this year i finally got to be sentenced in Cheltenham today.
This was my 13th trip to Gloucestershire on this matter - 3 times on police bail to Stroud, six visits to Cirencester magistrates, and four to Cheltenham.
At last they powers that be decided to sentence me.
The afternoon was not without incident - after the clerk read out the details of the offence to the magistrates two of them informed the court that they were perhaps slightly biased, one worked for "a government agency that works with the MoD" - hmm, in cheltenham, i wonder where that might be..... - and another's son had just been posted to Iraq.
So, upon my request, that bench was swapped for the one sitting in the next court. i didnt dare ask if they had any other interests for fear of it being adjourned foir the umpteenth time...
The original smarmy, badly dressed prosecutor, Mr Moorhouse, was unfortunately not there for the final part of my dealings with the Gloucstershire courts, and so was unable to be bemused by my choice of McKenzie friend, the person who was previously my co-defendant (let off on a technicality) sitting with me in the dock again.
This prosecutor, Derek, dressed in a very fetching velvet suit, went on at length about irrelevant detail that had nothing to do with my conviction (something about damamge to some landing lights apparently to the value of over 3 grand...)
Very well done to whoever did it, but nothing to do with me i'm afraid.
He then wittered on about how i was on bail for two other offences at the time -naughty me!
Anyway, i addressed the magistrates for a while, trying to persuade thenm that a conditional discharge would be an appropriate punishment... i explained the circumstances surrounding my previous convictions and they actualy seemed quite impressed by the fact that one of them was for trashing some GM crops, who'd've thought a prevoius conviction could work to your advantage, eh?
So, they retired for a coffe, sorry, i mean to deliberate.
half an hour later they came back, caffinated, to tell me that since i already had two conditional discharges they'd give me a community punishment order this time. so 40 hours community service it is, well unless i win my appeal of course.... :)
(for some unknown reason) spoke to corporate media outside after and, suprise suprise, they misquoted me, oh well....
Good luck to the remaining fairford peace protesters who are up in Bristol, at least you have a chance, you have juries ;)