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22 January 2005 |
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http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?... |
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VETERAN peace campaigner Lindis Percy is being unfairly targeted for arrest by Ministry of Defence police, her lawyer claims. On Thursday Percy was arrested at the United States signals intelligence station at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, for the second time this week. When she appeared before Harrogate magistrates yesterday the 63-year-old health visitor, who is joint co-ordinator of the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases, denied obstructing a police officer. Her arrest at a demonstration following the inauguration of President Bush brought to 20 the number of counts on which the court needs to arrange trials. Vicky Lamballe, prosecuting, said Percy, of Bellfield Avenue, Hull, had taken part in a protest outside Menwith Hill on Thursday evening with the co-founder of CAAB, Anni Rainbow. Miss Lamballe claimed that from 6.10pm MoD police had repeatedly warned Percy to move from the middle of the road as she was preventing vehicles entering and leaving the main entrance to the base. She said they had feared for her safety and had seen her almost run over by one of the vehicles as it left. Percy had been arrested at 6.20pm. ''There is a weekly protest at the base and Percy is inevitably arrested on each occasion,'' said Miss Lamballe. ''There are 20 outstanding matters in the system, all with not guilty pleas, to be listed for trial.'' She said the Crown did not oppose bail, but asked the court to impose a 50-metre exclusion zone instead of existing bail conditions which banned Percy from approaching within 15 metres of the main gate or five metres of the perimeter fence. Percy's solicitor, Richard Reed, objected and told magistrates the MoD police wanted to confine Percy to ''standing in a field''. She had been arrested on Tuesday of this week as well as December 7, December 21, November 30 and November 22. Mr Reed told the magistrates that Percy did not accept her actions constituted obstruction and said the court was likely to appoint a district judge to determine the case. Court chairman Pamela Henderson bailed Percy until February 22 and told her the present 15-metre conditions would remain in force.
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