Corbyn blasts ‘waste of court time’ as he gets absolute discharge for breaching Covid restrictions

Jeremy Corbyn’s brother ignored police pleas to go home as he addressed fellow anti-lockdown protestors at an anti-lockdown protest, a court heard.

Piers, 73, attended gatherings in May where supporters protested the lockdown and roll-out of 5G amongst other issues.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court has heard that the two gatherings near Speakers Corner in Hyde Park on May 16 and May 30 were attended by 100 or more people.

He at in front of the dock wearing a grey suit, blue shirt and red tie, and jotted down notes as Ben Cooper, QC, claimed his arrest was politically motivated.

Eight members of Corbyn’s group, Stand Up X, sat at the back of the socially distanced court to support the controversial weather forecaster while others were told to wait outside.

They refused to stand when District Judge Sam Goozee entered the room at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Police body-worn footage showed the former Labour leader’s brother surrounded by enthusiastic supporters at Speakers’ Corner on 30 May.

The conspiracy theorist was heard saying ‘well thank you for listening officer’ as PC Thomas Pearson warned him: ‘You need to go home or you will be arrested.’

PC Pearson told the court he was there to ‘engage, explain, and encourage’ with protestors – and as a last resort, to ‘enforce’ the law.

‘The engagement phase had already taken place,’ added the officer.

Mr Cooper asked: ‘Is it because of this policy you chose to issue him with a Fixed Penalty Notice?’

‘You asked Mr Corbyn to leave, then you moved straight from that to enforcement by issuing him with a FIxed Penalty Notice.’

The officer replied: ‘It was almost impossible to explain and encourage because he was using a megaphone – it was difficult to have a conversation.

‘I think I explained for a period of time, the reason why he needed to go home.’

Pointing at the footage, the barrister asked: ‘Do you hear there that Mr Corbyn is explaining he is waiting for a friend before he can go home?’

PC Pearson replied: ‘Yes.’

Mr Cooper said: ‘You’ve seen him picking up his possessions and following your instructions to leave, do you see that?’

The officer replied: ‘Mr Corbyn’s megaphone at that stage did not work, someone else tried to hand over another megaphone.

‘That was him putting his megaphone down.’

Mr Cooper asked: ‘Do you hear him saying, I am going to leave?’

PC Pearson replied: ‘yes.’

The officer’s footage showed a supporter jumping into shot and yelling repeatedly ‘I’m inviting him for a coffee’ minutes before Corbyn was arrested.

Mr Cooper told PC Pearson: ‘Had you permitted Mr Corbyn to leave with the lady who invited him for a coffee, there would have been no need to arrest him at that stage.

‘He would have simply left.’

The officer replied: ‘I don’t think he would have.’

Mr Cooper said Corbyn was treated differently to fellow anti-lockdown and BLM protestors ‘because he is Jeremy Corbyn’s brother’.

The court was told another officer had explained to the weather forecaster that his arrest was ‘necessary to protect public health’ during the first gathering on 16 May.

Corbyn, of East Street, Southwark, denies two counts of participating in a public gathering of more than two people in England during the coronavirus emergency period.

District Judge Sam Goozee threw out one of the charges against Piers Corbyn after police made a blunder when they issued the fixed penalty notice (FPN).

The fine issued by PC Pearson meant police would have to wait 28 days before charging Corbyn – but he was charged the same day, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.

Mr Cooper said the officer issued the FPN at 12:57 and Corbyn was charged at 19:32 on 30 May.

The barrister said: ‘Mr Corbyn was issued at 12:57 with the FPN and it confirmed the circumstances of the offence.

‘He provided details as required: his address, his email address, his gender and the time.’

David Povall, prosecuting, accepted the officer was wrong to issue the notice but insisted the document was incomplete so should not be considered an FPN.

District Judge Goozee said: ‘But the officer accepted he issued a FPN.

‘The officer on the video is saying he is issuing a FPN.’

Mr Povall said: ‘Yes he is saying that, he is wrong.

‘This is a piece of paper that was issued, it is not in a form that amounts to a FPN.

‘It’s an incomplete penalty notice.

‘It has the appearance of being a one page document that should be a FPN. I don’t know why this was issued by an officer on the street.’

The judge said: ‘The reality here is we have an officer who says he issued a FPN, says so in body worn footage, repeated it in his statement.

‘For all intents and purposes we have to make a finding of the fact that that is a FPN.

‘It’s a FPN.’

Turning to Corbyn the judge said: ‘I find no case to answer in relation to the 30 May offence.’

Corbyn replied: ‘Thank you your honour.’

Corbyn, of East Street, Southwark, denies one charge of participating in a public gathering of more than two people in England during the coronavirus emergency period on May 16.

The like charge relating to May 30 was dismissed.

Piers Corbyn was later convicted of breaching Covid rules by attending the gathering at Hyde Park on May 16.

District Judge Sam Goozee told Corbyn: ‘Your response was asking her not to interrupt you.

‘The officer was being constantly spoken over by you.

‘She did not just jump in to make the arrest

‘It is evident from the video footage that she was getting nowhere.

‘You took to the stage addressing the gathering, garnering support. I find the police were taking a measured response.

‘You did not engage

‘I find the charge proved.

‘I have found you guilty of the offence.’

Earlier prosecutor David Povall said: ‘What was happening at Speaker’s Corner on 16 May was a protest.’

Mr Povall said: ‘Mr Corbyn attended with a megaphone in order to give a speech to a gathering of like minded people – an anti-lockdown gathering.

‘Quite clearly a gathering.’

Mr Povall said police tried to communicate with the rowdy crowd but were met with friction and were unable to communicate.

‘They are dealing with people who conscientiously believe that the regulations are inappropriate and oppressive.

‘He is a poster boy for these disparate groups,’ said the prosecutor.

The officers’ conduct was ‘entirely proportionate and reasonable’, the barrister said.

‘What we have seen on 16 May is that Mr Corbyn an impassioned campaigner, was simply not prepared to comply with the lawful directions.’

Corbyn’s barrister Ben Coope argued police had ‘interfered’ with Corbyn’s right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest.

He said: ‘This case concerns Mr Corbyn’s right to protest.

‘That is precisely what Mr Corbyn was doing at a site of historical importance and there was a failure to engage, explain and encourage.’

‘He attended to deliver a short speech.

‘The consequences to him were completely disproportionate. He spent 12 hours in the cells.’

Mr Cooper claimed police ‘must remain consistent’ and questioned why the BLM marches counted as a reasonable excuse to break lockdown, but not his client’s process.

He said: ‘Positive measures were taken for the BLM protests.

‘That is corroborated by the extensive Metropolitan police Tweets.

‘This is a case of a disproportionate application of the regulations.’

Corbyn, of East Street, Southwark, denied but was convicted of one charge of participating in a public gathering of more than two people in England during the coronavirus emergency period on May 16.

He was handed an absolute discharge after trial on the basis he had spent 12 hours in custody and was ordered to pay no costs.

A like charge relating to May 30 was dismissed after police made a blunder when they issued a fixed penalty notice.