Two oxford activists had their charges of highway obstruction
dropped this afternoon.
dropped this afternoon.
Dave & Anna stood trial at Oxford Magistrates this afternoon,
for obstruction of the highway at the Plain the evening after
war broke out.
Both chose to defend themselves and had prepared a substantial
defense case together. Despite several letters to the CPS, they
had failed to give 'primary disclosure', ie release all the
evidence. This meant they were entitled to, at the very least,
an adjournment.
After an unsuccessful attempt to glean information regarding
their defence, the prosecutor wandered off to consult his
superiors, and 'decided the case was not in the public interest'.
This may have something to do with the police treatment a trial
would have exposed. The couple were dragged around while D-locked
together, with David being hit in the mouth, apparently to try and
stop his cries for help.
Anna: "They just got a limb or two and pulled"
But even after the (police) panic and chaos of the blockade, the
bad treatment continued. At the station police refused access to
a doctor, and were generally unco-operative and hostile. For
example they tried to take fingerprints and DNA even though that
isn't allowed for an offence like highway obstruction.
David: "They were belligerent throughout".
The result left them with mixed feelings:
"I'm glad it's all over, but we would have relished our chance to
defend ourselves. Somehow I think the prosecution weren't relishing
the prospect quite so much; all sorts of things embarrassing to
Thames Valley Police would have come out" said David.
David and Anna are pursuing a complaint against TVP.
for obstruction of the highway at the Plain the evening after
war broke out.
Both chose to defend themselves and had prepared a substantial
defense case together. Despite several letters to the CPS, they
had failed to give 'primary disclosure', ie release all the
evidence. This meant they were entitled to, at the very least,
an adjournment.
After an unsuccessful attempt to glean information regarding
their defence, the prosecutor wandered off to consult his
superiors, and 'decided the case was not in the public interest'.
This may have something to do with the police treatment a trial
would have exposed. The couple were dragged around while D-locked
together, with David being hit in the mouth, apparently to try and
stop his cries for help.
Anna: "They just got a limb or two and pulled"
But even after the (police) panic and chaos of the blockade, the
bad treatment continued. At the station police refused access to
a doctor, and were generally unco-operative and hostile. For
example they tried to take fingerprints and DNA even though that
isn't allowed for an offence like highway obstruction.
David: "They were belligerent throughout".
The result left them with mixed feelings:
"I'm glad it's all over, but we would have relished our chance to
defend ourselves. Somehow I think the prosecution weren't relishing
the prospect quite so much; all sorts of things embarrassing to
Thames Valley Police would have come out" said David.
David and Anna are pursuing a complaint against TVP.
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