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NEWBURY HUNGER-STRIKER TO CHALLENGE BYPASS BAIL CONDITIONS IN HIGH COURT
14 August 1996
Newbury bypass protester Chris Dench, on his fourteenth day without food, is going to the High Court [1] on Thursday (15 August) to challenge bail conditions imposed on him after he was arrested for aggravated trespass on 1 August. Chris refused to accept one of his bail conditions -not to go within one kilometre of the proposed route of the Newbury bypass [2]. He indicated at the time that he would comply with a condition not to go on the actual route of the bypass - but this has not been accepted by both the Magistrates and Crown Courts. He is in custody at HMP Bullingdon and has been on hunger-strike ever since.
The campaign against the Newbury bypass has been the first major road campaign where the charge of aggravated trespass (Criminal Justice Act 1994) has been used by the police to prevent people taking part in peaceful protest. Over 300 people have so far been arrested at Newbury for aggravated trespass and have had to agree to strict conditions forbidding them to go within one kilometre of the bypass route before being released on police bail.
A spokesperson for the Third Battle of Newbury said:"Draconian police powers are being used at Newbury to prevent people from peacefully protesting against the bypass. The bail conditions imposed are often more severe than those charged with serious and violent offences. Chris has agreed not to trespass on the bypass route but by banning him from going within one kilometre is a gross breach of civil liberties".
Chris Dench's solicitor is Lydia Dagostino at Bindman and partners.
ENDS
[1] High Court, London. Not before 10:30 am.
[2] Although police bail conditions would have prevented Chris from going within one kilometre of the bypass route, he would have been allowed to travel to his home at Go-tan, which is actually on the bypass,via a corridor.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Sep 2008
