Newham Eight half victory
Socialist Organiser1984 1984-01-26Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 3 →
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win SIXTEEN months after the event, the trial of the Newham 8 is finally over.
Last month the eight were found not guilty of possessing offensive weapons and causing actual bodily harm. But four were found guilty of making an affray and were sentenced at the Old Bailey last Friday.
The guilty verdict could have prompted a heavy sentence. But the weight of the campaign and the transparency of the police evidence has resulted in a comparatively light sentence: the four have to do 150 hours of community service.
Lurd Gifford, who defended Vipun Pathek. and Helen Kennedy, defending Gurgit Hunjan argued that the case was crucial to black people in Britain. Gifford explained that the incident happened in an atmosphere of racial hatred in Newham and Helena Kennedy that there were many groups and publications which would be only too pleased to see the four sent to prison.
So in a sense the sentences represent a victory: once again the courts have effectively found against the police and reaffirmed the verdict on the Bradford 12 - self-defence is no offence. -05