News: Mitigation statements

Zoe Jones: Our Legal System is Failing to Protect Us

November 26, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion

Mitigation statement delivered by Zoe Jones, 23, a charity worker from Bristol, when she pleaded guilty in October to breaching Section 14 of the Public Order Act during the April Rebellion. “I come here today in the interest of transparency and truth. Truthfully, I was a complete nerd at school. I loved…

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Cecily Bedner: This Was An Act of Self Defence

October 05, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion

Cecily Bedner, 20, a film and digital arts student from Plymouth, told the court she broke the law for her sister, aged five. This is the mitigation statement she read out in court. “I’m not here to tell you that I wasn’t there or I didn’t break the law.  What I will tell…

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Janet Young: How Could I Stand By and Do Nothing

October 05, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion

Janet Young, a 72-year old retired social worker and grandmother from Devon read out this statement at her plea hearing in August. She was arrested on Waterloo Bridge on the first Tuesday, 16 April. “I am pleading guilty for financial and emotional reasons. I accept that I did not comply with a…

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Andrew Peel: I Told the Truth and Acted As Though the Truth is Real

October 05, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion

Andrew Peel, 59, a delivery driver from Norwich, read out this statement at his plea hearing on Friday. His tipping point, he says, was watching the action on the London bridges in November and seeing a banner that said “For My Children”. “Following a serious health issue in 2014 in which I almost…

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Video: Ruth Jarman’s Day in Court

October 02, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion

Ruth Jarman, 56, a mother of three from Hampshire who works for a small Christian charity, was found guilty last week after standing trial at Hendon Magistrates Court. She was given a 12 months conditional discharge and a total of £640 costs. Film-maker Peter Armstrong recorded this video of Ruth’s day in…

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What did you do when the Earth was unravelling?

September 30, 2019 by Extinction Rebellion

Jane Baker, 64, a retired NHS speech therapist from Exeter read out this statment in mitigation when she pleaded guilty to “not moving when asked from Waterloo Bridge”. She was appearing at City of London Magistrates Court on 6th September before District Judge Rimmer. “I want to apologise for the necessary disruption caused at…

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