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14/03/2012
Case Dropped Against UK Uncut Activist
An activist who entered a luxury shop to demonstrate against tax avoidance has had her criminal charges dropped after it was found she was carrying only 16 leaflets instead of 20 – the threshold for the criminal offence she was charged with.
Francesca Hyde, 28, spent 24 hours in a holding cell along with more than 150 members of campaigning group UK Uncut after protesting at the Fortnum & Mason food store in Piccadilly, London, during a TUC-organised march on 26 March 2011.
Hyde and 144 others, including minors, were subsequently charged with aggravated trespass but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) soon dropped charges against all but 30 demonstrators who they singled out as being more dangerous activists as they were carrying fliers, megaphones and beach balls.
It was discovered on the 2nd day of the trial that Hyde was actually holding just 16 UK Uncut leaflets with TUC leaflets and theatre tickets being wrongly lodged as evidence.
When her defence lawyer raised the issue the prosecution lawyers reviewed her case and informed her she would no longer stand trial.
The trial was a test of new guidelines on protest by the director of public prosecutions, which were issued to help prosecutors clarify the difference between peaceful protesters and those intent on acts of public disorder.
(H)
Francesca Hyde, 28, spent 24 hours in a holding cell along with more than 150 members of campaigning group UK Uncut after protesting at the Fortnum & Mason food store in Piccadilly, London, during a TUC-organised march on 26 March 2011.
Hyde and 144 others, including minors, were subsequently charged with aggravated trespass but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) soon dropped charges against all but 30 demonstrators who they singled out as being more dangerous activists as they were carrying fliers, megaphones and beach balls.
It was discovered on the 2nd day of the trial that Hyde was actually holding just 16 UK Uncut leaflets with TUC leaflets and theatre tickets being wrongly lodged as evidence.
When her defence lawyer raised the issue the prosecution lawyers reviewed her case and informed her she would no longer stand trial.
The trial was a test of new guidelines on protest by the director of public prosecutions, which were issued to help prosecutors clarify the difference between peaceful protesters and those intent on acts of public disorder.
(H)
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