Reporting the prosecutions of campaigners arrested at protests against the exploitation of unconventional oil and gas
An environmental campaigner arrested on the second day of the Balcombe protests accused the police of unreasonably and disproportionately aggressive and intimidatory action. Richard Millar, 30, from Brighton, told the city’s magistrates court this morning the police used pressure point tactics on him when he was arrested. Pictures […]
The police gave no warning when they made their first arrest at the Balcombe anti-fracking protest, the trial of eleven campaigners heard this afternoon (8/1/14). Countryside management student Samantha Duncan told Brighton Magistrates Court she was taking part in the protest on its second day, July 26th last […]
The trial of the first environmental campaigners arrested outside Cuadrilla’s drilling site at Balcombe heard this morning (8/1/14) how a peaceful protest became chaotic as police began arresting people. Eleven campaigners deny obstructing the highway on July 26th last year by sitting on a log in the entrance […]
The trial of the first environmental campaigners arrested at anti-fracking protests in Balcombe heard this afternoon from the officer in charge of the policing operation. Chief Inspector Matthew Webb, based at Crawley Police Station, was the bronze commander on July 26th, the second day of protests outside Cuadrilla’s […]
The trial got underway this morning (7/1/14) of the first group of campaigners arrested at anti-fracking protests in Balcombe last year. Three women and eight men are charged with obstructing the highway outside Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site on July 26th. They all deny the charge. The case is […]
The trial is due to begin today (7/1/14) of the first people arrested at the protests against Cuadrilla’s oil exploration operation in Balcombe. Eleven environmental campaigners were arrested on July 26th 2013, the second day of the blockade of Cuadrilla’s site at Lower Stumble. They are all charged […]
The defence solicitor in a court case arising from the Balcombe anti-fracking demonstrations said today the law should be applied consistently to all the protestors who were arrested. Shahida Begum was speaking during the trial of Nick Ward, an environmental campaigner from Cambridge, who was arrested at Cuadrilla’s […]
The anti-fracking trial involving Natalie Hynde, daughter of the Pretender’s singer Chrissie Hynde, and Ray Davies, of The Kinks, was adjourned today without any evidence being heard. Ms Hynde denies trespassing on railway property at Balcombe on August 18th during protests against Cuadrilla’s exploration site near the village. […]
We asked Sussex Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to comment on the collapse of the first trial of a campaigner arrested during protests against Cuadrilla’s exploration at Balcombe. The case, heard at Brighton Magistrates, ended abruptly on Monday (25/11/13) when District Judge Peter Crabtree questioned whether an offence had […]
The first trial arising from protests outside Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe collapsed within an hour when the judge questioned whether an offence had been committed. District Judge Peter Crabtree invited the prosecution to drop the case at Brighton Magistrates Court this morning (25/11/13) after hearing evidence […]
DRILL OR DROP? 