As PN went to press, jubilant supporters rang to say that at 4.10 pm, a Bristol jury had found the B52 Two, Phil Pritchard and Toby Olditch (see picture right, outside the courtroom with supporters - Phil has a rose and Toby's on his right) not guilty of conspiring to cause criminal damage.
After coming out of court, Toby told PN, “We'd remained convinced that what we did was the right thing. We're absolutely overjoyed to have this confirmed by the jury.”
Phil and Toby entered USAF Fairford on 18 March 2003 with the intent of disarming B52 bombers bound for Iraq. They carried paint, nuts and bolts to stop the engines, and fencing pliers to damage the aiming mechanisms on the bombers.
After their arrest they were held on remand in HMP Gloucester for three months. Their first trial ended in a hung jury on 11 October 2006. Earlier on 22 May, the judge had delivered what supporters described as a “fairly even-handed” summing up of the law and of the evidence.
Topics: Trials & legal cases, Anti-war action