Four protectors who staged a spectacular Barton Moss picnic lock-on, holding up lorries exiting the IGas exploratory drilling site by around four hours last February, were today given absolute discharges at Manchester Magistrates Court.
The Salford lock-on happened during a visit to the Community Protection Camp by Green Party leader, Natalie Bennett (see previous Salford Star article click here). The four were found `guilty' of obstruction - but Judge Clark gave them absolute discharges with no fine and no costs, while another defendant, arrested but not involved in the lock-on, was found not guilty.
The protectors main defence argument was that Inspector Chatterton, who they were accused of obstructing, knew full well that the alleged highway, Barton Moss Road, was in fact a public footpath and so she was willfully negligent in her choice of charges - arresting the protectors for `obstruction of the highway' and `obstructing' her.
Under cross examination Inspector Chatterton told the court that she did not know that the alleged highway had been deemed by the courts to be a public footpath, until the judge informed her of that fact today. She also told the court that she had not noticed the Public Footpath sign at the entrance to Barton Moss Road, and that, even though all the protesters were explaining to her that Barton Moss Road was not a highway and were holding up signs saying 'Public Footpath', she was not in the business of being told the law by protesters.
Judge Clark accepted that Inspector Chatterton was being truthful in this matter and agreed with her that she could have used other powers of arrest had she known the true status of the footpath.
The Crown Prosecution Service demanded £900 costs off each of the defendants after being found 'guilty of obstructing Inspector Chatterton'. But Judge Clark instead issued absolute discharges, with no costs or fines. The defendants, however, are still not happy with criminal records and will be pursuing a 'not guilty' verdict in the High Court.
One of the defendants, Tammy, wrote after the case, "Guilty in law but morally innocent according to today's judge".
This Friday, 26th September, Salford anti-fracking campaigners will be protesting outside the £350-a-head Fracking North Conference being held at The Lowry.
The demonstration begins at 8am, with a photocall at 1pm.
For further details see previous Salford Star article click here and the Facebook events click here and click here
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