Greenpeace Trial

Greenpeace have received a total acquittal, however, for the damage they did to GM maize last year.

Lord Melchett and his fellow protesters, were acquitted at a retrial at Norwich crown court after claiming they had lawful excuse to attack the crop at a farm in Lyng, Norfolk, in July 1999.

At the original trial in April the 28 were cleared of theft, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on criminal damage. Now they have been awarded costs for both trials of an estimated £250,000.

The aim of removing the entire crop was crucial to the defence case. The protesters argued that they had lawful excuse under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 to uproot the crop, as leaving it to flower and pollinate would have led to a greater crime - the contamination of other crops in the vicinity.

While police are determined for this not to set a precedent, the NFU has announced it is now ‘open season’ for anti-GM perverts to trash GM crops, or something.