The destruction of public properties is unacceptable, insists a government minister. This was after four members of the Colston family escaped from criminal damages charges for destroying a statue at Bristol.
Following a trial that cleared four people who pleaded guilty to causing the destruction of Edward Colston’s historic statue during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations of 2020, Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary of the UK, said that Britain was not a place where it could be tolerated.
Rhian Graham, 30, Milo Ponsford, 26, Sage Willoughby, 22, and Jake Skuse, 33, were cleared of all charges at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday after requesting that the trial be heard in front of a jury.
Through fundraisers, and Banksy’s unique T-shirt Campaign by Bristol-based Banksy they were able afford to hire top barristers.
Shapps spoke out about the matter and said to Times Radio, “We live in democratic countries.” The ballot box or petitioning the local council can help you change things.
You don’t have to go outside and do criminal damage.
“We’ll always support the law. When necessary, we’ll close any loopholes to the law.
Four protestors pleaded guilty to destroying the statue of Edward Colston, a slave trader, during Black Lives Matter in 2020.
Photo taken from the outside courtroom shows Sage Willoughby and Jake Skuse celebrating their not guilty verdicts at Bristol Crown Court. The photos were taken on January 05/2022 in Bristol.
Shapps stated that the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would close an ‘potential loophole by providing a maximum sentence for anyone who admits to damaging memorials.
BBC Breakfast, he said: “We have a clause within the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill that will possibly close a loophole and mean that you can’t go around and cause vandalism, destruction of the public realm, and then basically not be prosecuted.”
Criminals could be sentenced to a 10-year term under the Police, Crime, Sentencencing and Courts Bill if found guilty of damaging any statues.
This move follows a number of monuments and statues throughout the country that were damaged by rising tensions about Britain’s colonial past.
Criminal damage can be punished by either a fine or a sentence in prison under current law.
At present, if the damage caused by the defendant is less than £5,000, the case is considered a summary trial, meaning it must be heard by magistrates and carries a maximum punishment of 3 months imprisonment or a fine of up to £2,500.
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will eliminate the monetary split that is currently affecting sentencing power when it comes to criminal damage of Memorials – allowing for a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.
This verdict is welcomed by David Olusoga (history expert at Bristol Crown Court)
Judge Peter Blair QC permitted Mr Olusoga evidence, even though the prosecution pointed out that there was a conflict of interest because the presenter had stated in the past that he “desperately” wanted to join Black Lives Matter protestors.
Good Morning Britain, he said: “That statue stood there for 125 year was validating the career mass murderer.
“And it’s offensive to those whose ancestors were slaved by Colston or men like him. You can speak to thousands in Bristol who find it offensive.
‘I think what this verdict shows is that when people are given the evidence about Edward Colston, about Britain’s involvement in slavery, and about the rather strange story about the cult that was built in Bristol in the 19th century around Edward Colston, when they get that information directly rather than through tabloids or journalists or politicians, then they actually react to the evidence rather than to the culture war drum beat that is built around it.
‘Most people don’t understand the details of this history, of this statue, and the long campaign to have it removed peacefully.’
Rhian Graham, Jake Skuse and Milo Ponsford speak out after they were convicted. Mr Willoughby said: ‘He proudly announced: ‘We didn’t change history, they were whitewashing history by calling him a f***ing virtuous man, sorry to swear, we didn’t change history, we rectified history’
Milo Ponsford & Rhian Graham can be seen laughing and smiling in the courtyard outside courtroom. Ms Graham spoke out after the verdict had been announced and said that defendants admitted the group was ‘ecstatic’ at the outcome.
The bronze statue of Edward Colston, a 17-century merchant, was torn down by Black Lives Matter activists on June 7. It was later located in the harbour.
What were the names of the protesters that toppled Edward Colston’s statue as a slave trader?
Ms. Graham hails from Bristol and works in the theatre sector as a stage manager.
Rhian Graham, 30
Ms. Graham is a Stage Manager in the Theatre Industry.
Mandy.com has a job page that she claims she’s been singing and dancing since she was young and, more recently, as an aerial hoop artist.
She holds a degree in Arts and Event Management from Arts University Bournemouth.
Ms. Graham claimed during her trial she had signed petitions asking for the removal of Colston’s statue before helping it be taken down.
According to her, she didn’t have any background in politics or activism at the time. However, since 2019, she had “…”I found more people who shared my passions for politics, history and equality.
“I was embarrassed by my knowledge, and I felt the need to learn more about the world.
Ponsford (26 years old) is a carpenter. She lives in Bristol, in her motorhome.
Milo Ponsford, 26
Ponsford (26 years old) is a carpenter. She lives in Bristol in her motorhome.
He stated that he is ‘usually a reserved, professional person’ during the Bristol Crown Court trial.
A carpenter provided one of the ropes used by Colston to get the statue from its plinth on June 7.
Later, Colston saw him jumping onto the statue to try and pull Colston’s staff out of his grasp.
Ponsford (26 years old) is a carpenter. She lives in Bristol, in her motorhome.
Sage Willoughby, 22
Sage Willoughby, 22
Willoughby (also from Bristol) is the youngest among the quartet who tore down this statue.
Willoughby was not like Ponsford. He was held at his motorhome following the fall of the statue. Willoughby went to a voluntary interview.
At the Bristol Crown Court trial, jurors learned that Willoughby had tied a rope around a statue’s neck, while Graham and Ponsford pulled on the ropes.
Willoughby claimed in court that he has been signing petitions to remove the statue’since the age of 11′. He added that it was an ‘act love, not violence’.
According to him, he grew up in St Pauls which is home to a significant Afro-Caribbean community.
As a result, he said he believed having the statue of Colston in the city was an ‘insult’ and he would continue to believe that whatever the outcome of this [trial].’
Skuse was also from Bristol but did not participate in the overturning of the statue. However, Skuse was charged with criminal damages after helping to transport it to Bristol’s harbor, where it was dropped into the sea.
Jake Skuse (33).
Skuse, a Bristol resident, was not involved in the accident but was charged for criminal damage. He helped to move the statue from Bristol to Bristol’s Harbour, where it was then dropped into the water.
His trial was a testimony by him that he attempted to “sentence the statue of his death” before throwing it into the harbor.
He said he didn’t see the original toppling. However, he later arrived and became engulfed in the excitement of the moment.
Skuse stated that the idea to cast the statue in water came after Skuse’s ‘foot got sore’ from repeatedly kicking the bronze monument.
The activist acknowledged that he knew little about Colston except for conversations with friends and the plaque at the statue’s base.
Colston’s bronze memorial was pulled down in Bristol, June 7, 2020. Later it was dumped at the harbour by anti-racism demonstrators.
They chose not to have the case heard by either a magistrates court or a district judge. They opted instead to have their case heard by the Bristol Crown Court jury, well-known for its activist nature.
Outside of court, Mr Willoughby unleashed an expletive-laden tirade as he also justified the actions. ‘We didn’t change history, they were whitewashing history by calling him a f***ing virtuous man, sorry to swear, we didn’t change history, we rectified history,’ he said.
Skuse, who wore a black baseball hat, declared that the verdict was correct for once. He also thanked Banksy for his limited edition T-shirts, which they wore to court.
Ponsford expressed his gratitude to jurors for being on the right side in history.
Ms Graham told Good Morning Britain on Thursday that she never ‘felt like a criminal’ throughout the trial and denied the verdict set a precedent condoning political vandalism.
She stated that she understood the concerns of people and didn’t believe it was a good idea for anyone to start tearing down statues.
“This is the moment about this statue in that city at this time.
“I will let the fates of monuments in other places to those who live there.”
Ms Graham also claimed that the Colston statue’s value had been estimated to have risen from around £6,000 to more than £150,000 and potentially up to £300,000 since it had been toppled.
Critics reaffirmed the argument of the prosecution that this case is about law, not politics. They expressed concern that the verdict for not guilty would be a precedent for vandalism or dangerous identity politics.
Graham Ponsford, Willoughby, and Ponsford were all accused of having helped to pull down the monument. Skuse however allegedly orchestrated the rolling it into the water, then throwing it in.
Even though the trial was centered around criminal damage, the defense claimed the protestors’ actions are justified. One point, they even urged members of juries to be on the right side.
According to the defense, the statue was erected in 1895 as a memorial of a man who had prospered in the slave trade and caused offense to the people. It has not been taken down despite numerous campaigns.
The decision to acquit the defendants also raises the question of who will now pay the estimated £3,750 in damage that was done to the statue after it was torn from its plinth.
A further £350 charge also applies to fix the damaged railings of Pero’s Bridge.
It’s been hard to believe that this day is coming. I felt hopeless for so long, and had to be realistic about the possibility of it happening. However, here we are. We just want to thank you for listening and thank you very much, Ms Graham.
The protestors insisted that the statue was destroyed and they did so during the trial. However, their claims were not supported by the fact that the statue had been hateful to the Bristolians.
As they were cleared today of all criminal damage charges they laughed and hugged their supporters before they left courtroom.
Speaking outside court on Wednesday, Ms Graham said: ‘We are ecstatic and stunned. It was so overwhelming that I had to try and write something for this moment. We never thought we would get there, but we are now.
“There was so much that happened on the day. The world was shaken by it. Thanks to some key individuals, like our legal staff, which has been amazing. We are so grateful to them for helping us get through.
“Everybody, that 10,000 marchers who marched in Bristol for equality and our love.
«All the rope-pullers. The statue-climbers. Rollers. Egg-throwers. Rollers. All those people are amazing. But the international toppers – people who went to their locality and created change.
“We now know that Colston is not Bristol’s representative.”
Ms Graham said, “That’s one thing I have learned that is really important to me. Being able to exercise agency in my own lives.”
“We all have the right to decide how we decorate and venerate our space, and we now know that Colston is not representative of Bristol.
He denied that the group tried to change history.
He said: ‘We didn’t change history, they were whitewashing history by calling (Colston) a f****** virtuous man – sorry to swear.
We didn’t alter history; we just rectified it.
He added: “This is a win for Bristol. It’s also a victory in racial equality. And it’s for everyone who is on the right side.
A number of prominent names supported the defendants. Professor David Olusoga, a TV historian and author who provided expert testimony on slavery’s history, was one such example.
Cleo Lake, a former Bristol mayor and lord of Bristol came before the court to tell her story about her struggle to remove Colston’s photograph from her office. Banksy created a limited edition T-shirt for Banksy to help raise money for the defendants.
At trial, Colston’s prosecution stated that it was irrelevant who Colston was and that this case was one of simple criminal damage.
The campaign group Save Our Statues responded to the clearing of the accused by tweeting: ‘Colston statue charged defy justice. The Verdict gives political vandalism the green light, and legitimizes the divisive identity politics that it supported.
Darren Grimes (Conservative Commentator) said that he was shocked to hear about the criminal damages done by those responsible for removing Edward Colston’s statue.
“Are we now really a country that can desecrate public property, as long as it’s done for noble political causes?”