Quakers in court for DSEI witness

'The Friends have been charged with failing to comply with a condition of Section 14(5) and (9) of the Public Order Act 1986.'

Eight Friends appeared in court last week for their witness at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair in London last September.

The Friends have been charged with failing to comply with a condition of Section 14(5) and (9) of the Public Order Act 1986. ‘This is because we “sat in the road and failed to move when asked to do so”,’ Lin Patterson, from Bath Meeting, one of the defendants, told the Friend.

The others are: Alison Meaton, from Penzance Meeting; Nick and Diana Francis, from Bradford on Avon Meeting; Phil Laurie, from Faversham Meeting; Adrian Cook, from Harrow Meeting; and Jo Frew, from Tottenham Meeting.

There was a ninth member of the group who was not a Quaker, and also arrested, said Lin. She did not appear at court on Monday.

‘On [15 January], the judge decided to schedule another preliminary hearing, after recording our “not guilty” pleas, in order to allow time to collect the police body camera footage from the several policemen at the scene,’ said Lin Patterson. ‘The date for this next hearing [in Stratford] was set for Thursday [8 February]. Fortunately, she allowed us to attend online, rather than to travel again to London.’

According to Lin Patterson, several of the group have engaged solicitors ‘experienced and sympathetic in dealing with protesters’. Others are representing themselves ‘but the solicitors are actually sharing their skills with all of us,’ she said. ‘Others may engage a solicitor firm later… An advantage of representing oneself is the ability to address the judge and ask questions, which I found very useful in clarifying what was being said quickly and sometimes inaudibly.’

The group are ‘being given a lot of moral support by Friends,’ said Lin.

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