Colston statue topplers acquitted

[SerendipityJane]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-59727161

Four people accused of illegally removing a statue of Edward Colston have been cleared of criminal damage.

Sage Willoughby, 22, Rhian Graham, 30, Milo Ponsford, 26, and Jake Skuse, 33, were charged after a monument to the 17th Century slave trader was pulled down and then thrown into the harbourside in Bristol last June.

It happened during a Black Lives Matter protest in the city.

A jury at Bristol Crown Court found them all not guilty.

During a highly publicised trial, the court heard that the statue was ripped down before being thrown into the harbour during a wave of protests triggered by the murder of African-American George Floyd by a white police officer.

The four defendants, together with "others unknown", were accusing of damaging the Colston statue and plinth of a value unknown without lawful excuse.

During the trial, Mr Skuse said he took part in rolling the statue to the docks to stage a symbolic "sentencing" of the slave trader.

@KenDodd

I think it was argued in court that the presences of the statue was so offensive it constituted a hate crime. In law apparently there is a get out clause that you are allowed to commit a crime to prevent a bigger crime.

Ah see I thought it was obviously criminal damage but what youve said here makes sense to me

As always, the secret barrister has a great post on the case:

thesecretbarrister.com/2022/01/06/do-the-verdicts-in-the-trial-of-the-colston-4-signal-something-wrong-with-our-jury-system-10-things-you-should-know/

Per the post there were a number of perfectly reasonable routes to a not guilty verdict which doesn't mean that the jury agreed with their actions or that we can now go around pulling down anything we don't agree with. There's apparently also no "loophole" here to be closed or precedent set. Hysteria caused by the media and politicians as usual.

It's a good summary. Several posters on this thread would do well to read it.

@VikingOnTheFridge

It's a good summary. Several posters on this thread would do well to read it.

I think that's a bit hopeful.

They might be able to get someone to read it to them.

number of perfectly reasonable routes to a not guilty verdict

Yes ive done jury service and it was made very clear to us (flow chart and everything) about how we were supposed to come to a verdict

One of the two cases i did was as guilty as sin but the verdict hinged on one particular ‘fact’’ and they had to be found not guilty

Apparently GB News (GBeeBees ...) were pulled up by the trial judge for potentially trashing the trial.

Luckily he accepted their defence of such poor viewing figures there was no chance of anyone seeing it.

www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jan/07/gb-news-accused-of-prejudicing-colston-four-trial

[quote SerendipityJane]Apparently GB News (GBeeBees ...) were pulled up by the trial judge for potentially trashing the trial.

Luckily he accepted their defence of such poor viewing figures there was no chance of anyone seeing it.

www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jan/07/gb-news-accused-of-prejudicing-colston-four-trial[/quote]
🤣🤣🤣

SerendipityJane
Apparently GB News (GBeeBees ...) were pulled up by the trial judge for potentially trashing the trial.
Luckily he accepted their defence of such poor viewing figures there was no chance of anyone seeing it.

I think you have misread the article;

GB News’ representative, Claire Overman, told the court there had been a “breakdown in communication” at GB News on the day the article and video was published. She said the lawyer on duty at the channel only had a few minutes to look at it while also reviewing other on-air content. ...

A local blog called Alternative Bristol was also separately summoned to court for a potential contempt of court during the trial. They were let off with a warning after apologetically telling the judge they were “more a group of activists than journalists” and in any case “the site only has about 150 hits a day”.

They might be able to get someone to read it to them.

Perhaps you should take some of your own advice.

Seems the best marker for dimness is still a lack of sense of humour.

VikingOnTheFridge
It's a good summary. Several posters on this thread would do well to read it.

Oh yes, the secret barrister has included a tweet from former
cabinet minister Robert Jenrick - just as the Guardian have quoted former justice secretary Robert Buckland and former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie. Funny that.

VikingOnTheFridge
I do hope this isn't going to turn into a Keir Starmer thread. He's not very interesting at the best of times, and only tangentially connected to the issue.

I think SerendipityJane wants you to 'lighten up' a bit.

This is interesting -

The Times last night;

The judge in the Colston statue case feared undue pressure was being placed on the jury by rhetoric from defence barristers urging them to ensure they were on the “right side of history”.

Judge Peter Blair QC, sitting at Bristol crown court, expressed concern that claims about the impact the jury’s decision would have on the world stage would place an additional burden on their shoulders.

He criticised Liam Walker, the barrister who represented the defendant Sage Willoughby, for his closing remarks when he told the jury that their verdict would “reverberate around the world”.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/prosecutors-could-challenge-colston-statue-verdict-robert-buckland-says-d3g7vhgvc

@Clavinova

VikingOnTheFridge It's a good summary. Several posters on this thread would do well to read it.

Oh yes, the secret barrister has included a tweet from former
cabinet minister Robert Jenrick - just as the Guardian have quoted former justice secretary Robert Buckland and former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie. Funny that.

Not really. There isn't a rule that says if Keir Starmer isn't particularly relevant to a discussion, other completely different people who, like him, have also held roles that they no longer occupy can't be mentioned in an article that provides a useful legal summary.

As for SerendipityJane, I'm sure she'll let you know if she'd like you to communicate with me on her behalf.

Weren't they studying at Bristol University which was initially funded by monies from the slave trade? Amusing.

@peaceanddove

Weren't they studying at Bristol University which was initially funded by monies from the slave trade? Amusing.

Funnier still you think thats some sort of gotcha

I don't think it's a gotcha, at all. Just amusing.

@peaceanddove

I don't think it's a gotcha, at all. Just amusing.

Almost as amusing as the acquitted becoming known as "The Colston Four" ...

Really should be the Colston 4x4 as tribute to their oh so terribly middle class credentials.

@peaceanddove

Really should be the Colston 4x4 as tribute to their oh so terribly middle class credentials.

Maybe there should be a petition to name the next RN submarine HMS Colston ?

I can just hear football pundits now : Yes, he's definitely done a Colston and dived in the box

Tsk, those pesky middle classes. How dare they protest against celebrating Britain's ugly colonial past .

@peaceanddove

Weren't they studying at Bristol University which was initially funded by monies from the slave trade? Amusing.

I can't find any details about them studying at Bristol Uni? The only one I can get uni details for is Rhian and I think she went to Bournemouth.

Do signpost me to where you got your info: i'll quickly apologise. Otherwise I'll have to assume that you just made it up. I'm especially love that you thought they were all students. Are you aware of their ages?

@peaceanddove

Weren't they studying at Bristol University which was initially funded by monies from the slave trade? Amusing.

Betteridge applies ... (in answer to the exchange above) ...

《Google Betteridge》

Thanks to the Colton four I now know what the word’s regicide and betteridge mean. I might be ready to topple my own statue in order to right the wrongs of history.