Home / Articles & Publications

Unlucky again for the Police and the CPS against Fathers 4 Justice campaigners

Guy Harrison was acquitted after a 5 day trial in the Crown Court at Southwark. Kyri Argyropoulos, defending, blamed police over-reaction to events, together with exaggeration by police as to the true position, contending that there was in fact no Public Nuisance. Kyri cited, amongst other things, how police had lied about "heavy rain" (the incident was videoed and photographed).The Superintendent in charge, when justifying police actions, had claimed in cross-examination, that he feared that Mr Harrison might slide onto a gutter and "bounce" some 30 metres onto passers-by.

In fact, Mr Harrison had, in May 2005 as part of a similar protest, thrown purple powder at Tony Blair during Prime Ministers Question time. Despite this he managed to enter the Palace of Westminster undisguised and carrying a 30ft banner, climb out of a toilet, shimmy down a drainpipe and climb via scaffolding onto the roof undetected. Incredibly, the police only discovered that Mr Harrison had climbed onto the roof from television news but recognised Mr Harrison immediately. The defence argued that both the police and security were acutely embarrassed by the incident and therefore did all they could to turn the public against him.

To date chambers have been involved in 4 Public Nuisance trials of Fathers 4 Justice campaigners (3 involving Kyri) none of which has resulted in a conviction.

10 November 2006

Top of page