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23-Sep-2006

Re-Trial ordered in case of Fairford defendants

by: Margaret Jones

Paul Milling and Margaret Jones outside the Royal Courts of Justice in July 2004.
PHOTO: Rowland Dye ,

Bristol: A judge at Bristol Crown Court has ordered a re-trial in the case of two peace activists charged with damaging military equipment to stop planes taking off. After a day and a half of debate, the jury failed to reach any clear verdict.

Paul Milling and Margaret Jones are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage after disabling several dozen bomb-carrying and fuel vehicles at RAF Fairford in March 2003. They were attempting to hinder the take-off of 14 B-52 planes to bomb Iraq at the start of the 2003 invasion. Milling and Jones say this was a bid to delay the planes’ departure for Baghdad and give more people time to flee the city, thus protecting property and helping to prevent war crime.

Another Fairford "disarmament" trial begins next week - on 2 October - at the same court. Phil Pritchard and Toby Olditch are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage for trying to reach and disable a B-52 bomber at Fairford in 2003 (see PNs various - for example, http://www.peacenews.info/news/article/225).

See http://www.b52two.org for more info.

Source: Margaret Jones (nabataat@yahoo.co.uk)