The Salford Star photograph of mum, Vanda Gillett, pinned to the ground by a smiling officer from Greater Manchester Police Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) officer, came to symbolise the community's experience with the local police at the Barton Moss anti-fracking camp in Salford.
During the days following the brutal arrest last March, almost 60,000 people around the world read the Salford Star report and saw the photos of a burly TAU officer with his arms around Vanda's neck, her mouth pouring with blood, her face in agony (see here).
Incredibly, Vanda was subsequently charged with resisting a constable in the execution of his duty, assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty and assaulting a detention officer. At the time, she pleaded guilty to the latter charge and not guilty to the other two charges.
Today, at Manchester Magistrates' Court, Vanda was due to be sentenced on the detention officer assault charge, with the Crown Prosecution Service indicating that it would drop the other two charges against her. However Vanda, via her barrister, Laura Barbour, decided to `vacate', or change, her guilty plea. And, instead of sentencing, the case against her was adjourned until May 6th so that she can submit a written application stating why she wants to change her plea.
If the application is successful then all three charges will be heard in court and the GMP will have to publicly explain its actions during the brutal arrest.
"The application is a real uphill battle but she feels very strongly about it and there is a sense of high feeling" Laura Barbour told the Salford Star after today's hearing
"The advice I gave Vanda is that she has to live with it forever, and if you plead guilty to something you didn't do you've got to lay your head on the pillow every night and sleep" she added "From what I've seen I think she'd find that very difficult."
Outside the Court, Vanda, accompanied by her children, explained why she is attempting to change her plea to not guilty...
"Obviously after what had happened at Barton Moss I was really, really scared" she said "They wouldn't bring the evidence of what had happened at Barton Moss, they only wanted to try me on what had happened in the police station, just so they can get a guilty charge."
Steve Spy, who was at Barton Moss during the arrest last March, added: "The GMP just wanted to get an easy guilty plea for the ridiculous incident in the cells where Vanda has accidentally caught a detention officer with no intent to injure him. They wanted to concentrate on that case and drop the other charges which are clearly bogus, as we've got video footage from multiple angles showing that she didn't assault the PC and there was no way she was obstructing anyone.
"These are clearly ridiculous charges and they now want to brush them under the carpet" he added "As they were pushing us away from the area of arrest they were punching and kicking Vanda. It was a ludicrous assault, there was blood coming from her teeth. It was brutal treatment by the Tactical Aid Unit of the GMP."
Vanda has still not recovered from the injuries she sustained almost exactly a year ago. She has a frozen shoulder, is under the care of a chiropractor and has been told it will be at least a couple of years until she fully recovers.
Today's hearing at Manchester Magistrates' Court was marred in controversy as the microphones in court weren't working, meaning no-one in the glassed off public gallery could hear what was happening in what was supposed to be an open court.
When the Salford Star reporter tried to move into the press box within the court he was barred, with the court administrator saying it was full despite there being at least four empty seats. The Salford Star and other attendees will be making an official complaint.
Main photo by Steven Speed
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