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Womble 7 trial

Castro | 03.05.2002 13:07

Police behaved unlawfully. Of the 7, four charges were dropped

Of the 7 wombles four charges were dropped yesterday and the police action on the initial arrest of martin king was ruled unlawfull arrest. It was rueld the police bahaved unlawfully.

Bennet was accused of asault but this was ruled that because of his character references and obvious gentle disposition that his action was not an assult, but a calming touch on the shoulder of police officer Middleton.

Clayton was ruled to have acted violently under section 4 of the public order act all other charges against him were dropped but he was forced to pay a fine of 155 pounds for the offence under section 4.

Simon chapman was also ruled to have acted in a violent and dissorderly way when he kicked the police van whilst wearing wellington boots out of frustration.

Currently both clayton and simon are considering appeal.

Castro

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

5 were found not guilty

03.05.2002 13:48

5 found NOT GUILTY!

2 WOMBLES were found "guilty" of Section 4 of the Public Order act and given token £100 fines (+ £50 costs). They will be appealling against this decision and have every chance of success as the Magistrate agreed that the cop who led the attack on the WOMBLES had acted illegally and that his evidence was not to be trusted! Its also likely that the 7 will sue the police for assault and harassment.

The State has tried to crush dissent and failed. Yet again they have tried to crush the WOMBLES and failed. They brand the WOMBLES as violent but time and again cannot prove this LIE in court. Self-defence is no offence!

Thanks to everyone who has supported the WOMBLE 7 and to all those who joined the solidarity event outside the court on MayDay or who sent messages of support. And congratulations to the MAGNIFICENT 7!

Sonia Nerves
- Homepage: http://www.temporary.org.uk


come on now, everyone sing along

03.05.2002 14:08

Overground underground, wombling free,
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we,
Making good use of the things that we find,
Things that the everyday folks leave behind.

Uncle Bulgaria, he can remember the days
When he wasn't behind the times
With his map of the world:
Pick up the papers and take them to Tobermory.

Wombles are organized, work as a team,
Wombles are tidy and Wombles are clean,
Overground, underground wombling free,
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we.

People don't notice us, they never see,
Under their noses a Womble may be,
We womble by night and we womble by day,
Looking for litter to trundle away.

We're so incredibly utterly devious,
Making the most of everything,
Even bottles and tins:
Pick up the pieces and make them into something new
Is what we do.

Overground, underground, wombling free,
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we,
Making good use of the things that we find,
Things that the everyday folks leave behind.

NTG


crucially ...

03.05.2002 15:01

it is vital everybody learns the lessons of this case - the 2 who were found guilty purely on the basis of their statements given whilst in custody. The 4 who did not give statements had their cases dropped first.

NEVER give more than a name and verifiable address when arrested. There is no advantage to giving your defence to the police early - it will still be valid and it stops the prosecution having early access to how you are going to play the case.

But most importantly of all never assume that the police have any information at all. This case was on Oxford St, yet there was still no ctv footage showing the accused of doing anything.

You will be stressed and upset and not at your best having just been nicked. You will not be thinking clearly and the cops will be trying their best to trip you up.

The 3 who gave statements did so on the basis of legal advice but this was very bad advice. Lawyers are only human and do make mistakes.

No matter what the cops say you will be out of that nasty station and back with your mates quicker, and are less likely to get convicted if you do not say anything. They will tell you that it might harm your defence if you do not say anything but it will almost certainly for sure harm your defence if you DO say anything!

So stay calm. Ask for a cup of tea and a pen and paper (and a copy of PACE) try and chill out and write down whatever you can remember (but do not show to the cops) and wait to be released.

ginger


WE WIN AGAIN

03.05.2002 16:07

Fucking fantastic!!! They keep trying to kill off the WOMBLES and label them as "pre-terrorists" and always fail. They fail because they are WRONG. We are RIGHT. This is something we must always have in our minds when we go out on actions. They cannot stop justice and the thirst for freedom we have. I think they know it and they are scared of us because of it.
Overground or Underground but ALWAYS around.

Lenin the Terrible


@

03.05.2002 17:10

yes pigs. the court saw you for the lying scum you are. and a particular "fuck you" to pc xh625 martin 'skippy' hayes. fuck you!
@

@
mail e-mail: @


yea ,ginger,s got it

03.05.2002 22:12

thiers a saying among the glasgow people
" anything you say ,will be taken down in evedence .
TWISTED ROUND and USED "AGAINST YOU
so people this case SHOWS we can win ,,,
silence is the key

MYR


They were not acting violently...............

04.05.2002 06:55

As a matter of clarification, the two convictions were not for "acting violently", they were for "threatening" behaviour. The low level fines of £100 each plus costs of £55, demonstrate that the judge was unable to show that the defendants had acted violently as all.

As Ginger noted, the chief reason for them being convicted was on the basis of statements that were made after a lengthy detention, where all 7 had been denied basic PACE rights.

The remaining officers inflamed the situation by attacking members of the group, who were complaining that an unlawful arrest had taken place, and demanding to know what was going on.

Clearly officers do not expect to be challenged by members of the public, even when they are part of a chain of unlawful events. All WOMBLES were pushed, sworn at and all officers refused to identify the cunt without numbers.

The officers then claim that they FEARED FOR THEIR SAFETY!!! Uncle Soweto believes that the plan hatched in the carrier was to grab a man, in the hop that WOMBLES would be provoked into a fight with the coppers. The plan was foiled when members of the group responded by noting that the arrest was illegal, and by demanding the arresting officers numbers and by not rising to the bait as they were pushed about.

The convictions are a hollow victory for the AUTHORITARIAN STATE, but are a travesty for the two convicted. Two sound, intelligent and caring people are now criminalised by a last ditch, desperate attempt to close the case. 14 THUGS have been left to continue attacking people on the streets at will, and with the backing of the courts.

They are:

PS55XH Paul Freeman
PC721XH Dennis Marray (Driver)
PC323XH Philip Davies
PC625XH Mark "Skippy" Hayes
PC299XH Mark Youster
PC644XH Andrew Moss
PC281XH Dean Tully
(One cunstable -406XH Bailey has now left the force - he was particularly offensive and abusive to women that evening)

Other attacking thugs in the second carrier were:

PS95RG Simon Middleton -20 years service - vicious liar
PC235RG Cormac Daly (SPECIAL CUNTstable)
PC630RG Robin Palmer
PC325RG Roger MacMillan
PC981RG Hetherington
PC615RG Adam Calladine (another accomplished liar)
PC442RG Andy Brown (witnessed beating a prone, handcuffed man several times with a baton- also an accomplished liar)

Uncle Soweto
mail e-mail: wombles@hushmail.com
- Homepage: www.wombles.org.uk


send them to Millwall

04.05.2002 09:36

I wonder if any of the named filth were at Millwall FC
the other night , arrrr wot a shame 45 of them got battered
there. best memories of my life, seeing the cops run away ..
and can they run !!

agro


Well done, but.......

23.05.2002 18:11

Whats all the deal with glorifying the "Wombles" (as in the group) as some sort of super-activists? It's good that these individuals got off, but does that really turn "the wombles" - sorry but I don't really think that they exist anymore - into some sort of heroes. That is just how this society works, taking away peoples individuality and blocking them into groups makes them much less effective, not more. Uniting together with people is good, but not in the form of an institution. Please, the way forward is not jumping on bandwagons like "the wombles" (after mayday last year) who havn't done anything worthwhile since Campsfield last year (and even that is debatable). Most of this is just about inflating individual egos and not too dissimilar from the vampiric tactics of Globalise Resistance. YOU CAN DO THINGS BY YOURSELF OR JUST WITH SMALL GROUPS OF FRIENDS!!!! You don't need to just attach yourself to an institution. True freedom will never be achieved this way (although it might give you something to impress people with). Don't hang on to stuff that is already decaying.

d


Independant My Arse

02.06.2002 11:05

These reports are biased and inaccurate. Why don't you fucking wasters grow up, before society decides that we REALLY don't want you. Children pretending to be grown ups.

Trothater


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