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| Stone Formation Archive 1985 |
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 Stone Formations news, views, gallery and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Stonehenge Stonehenge Project Stonehenge 360 Avebury Saviours Stones Village Solstice Wayland Smithy Long Barrow Woodhenge Gallery Summer Solstice Gallery 2002 Summer Solstice Gallery 2004 Postcards Wallpaper Links  |
First published on December 12, 1985 WILTSHIRE ratepayers could be facing another big bill because of the Stonehenge hippie battle. The cost of policing this year's summer solstice convoy, has been estimated at £1 million. Ratepayers could find themselves footing the cost of damages which might be claimed by hundreds of hippies. It is likely that some, if not all, will sue the police for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, and damage to property. This follows Friday's decision by Salisbury Crown Court to allow an appeal by convoy member, Helen Reynolds, 20, who was fined £50 with £25 costs by magistrates for obstruction. She drove a converted ambulance almost at the front of the convoy which travelled from Savernake Forest towards Stonehenge on June 1. The ambulance was stopped at a road block at Cholderton, and surrounded by policemen with drawn truncheons. The police claimed that Miss Reynolds ignored their instructions to switch off her engine and hand over her ignition keys. The defendant claimed she was given no time to comply with their orders and the police began smashing the windows of the ambulance. The appeal hearing on Friday was shown a selection of Press photos showing police smashing the windows of the ambulance. One picture showed one of the arresting officers pulling Miss Reynolds by the hair out through one of the windows. Upholding her appeal, Judge Starforth Hall, said the defendant had not been given sufficient time to react to the instructions from the police. The Earl of Cardigan who witnessed the police battle with the hippies gave evidence for Miss Reynolds. The appeal court decision was another blow for Wiltshire police and the way they handled the hippie convoy making over 500 arrests. Salisbury stipendiary magistrate, Mr David Miller, who was brought to deal with cases arising form the hippie convoy, has already told police that he will acquit certain cases involving charges of obstruction brought against people who were passengers. The police have also had to drop about 20 charges against people arrested by Military police after the stipendiary magistrate ruled they had no jurisdiction in what was a non-military matter. A lawyer, Miss Kate Akaster, who acted for Miss Reynolds said that some, if not all, the acquitted defendants would be seeking redress through the courts. Some convoy members were in prison for four or five days before they appeared in court to be bailed, she added. Speaking in Marlborough on Sunday, the Labour MP for Islington, Mr Jeremy Corbyn said: "When the hippie convoy was stopped on its way to Stonehenge they were stopped illegally, searched illegally by the police, and driven out of the area illegally." Back to 1985 index |
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