Silverstone track invasion protesters lose convictions appeals

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Alasdair Gibson and Louis McKechnie, both 23, David Baldwin, 49, Emily Brocklebank, 26, and 31-year-old Joshua Smith were found guilty of risking “serious harm” to drivers and race marshals during the protest action. In the 16-page written ruling, Lord Justice Holroyde said: “Given the strength of the prosecution case, taking into account only the risk to drivers, marshals and others who might assist the marshals, we are satisfied that the terms in which the judge directed the jury do not render the convictions unsafe.” The activists all denied causing a public nuisance at the July 2022 race in Northamptonshire, claiming the protest had followed a “meticulous” safety plan. We agree with the judge’s conclusion that the arguments of the defendants were a misconceived attempt to 'atomise' the relevant section of the public and to reduce it to its constituent parts in order to characterise them as a series of unrelated individuals Lord Justice Holroyde Mr Karu said the track protest took place after the majority of cars had already passed by amid a red flag signalling drivers to slow down and head to the pit lane because of an earlier racing incident. Lord Justice Holroyde said it was “open to the jury to find that the defendants’ conduct had created a risk of serious harm to a section of the public”.