Judge blasts CPS over call to downgrade man's charge

CONCRETE THROWER SENTENCED FOR AFFRAY NOT VIOLENT DISORDER

- CARL EVE

A JUDGE has said a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to reduce a charge of violent disorder to affray, on a man who hurled a lump of concrete at rival protestors in Plymouth on August 5, was "wrong, and seriously wrong" Christopher Howe, aged 53 and from Boscawen Place in Plymouth appeared at Plymouth Crown Court after the disorder in the city centre on the evening of August 5.

He was charged initially with violent disorder, but the charged had been amended to affray when he appeared at the court.

Judge Robert Linford - who has so far presided over all the sentencing hearings of adults involved in the protests questioned the new indictment and requested the matter go back to the "very senior Crown Prosecutor" who had made the decision to amend in charge.

At the time he passed a restriction barring any reporting of that hearing. The matter returned to court this week and saw prosecutor Edward Bailey continue with the amended indictment of affray, to which Howe pleaded guilty.

Mr Bailey told the court that at 8.23pm on August 5 a police officer spotted Howe. Her bodyworn camera captured him throwing an object from the Hoe side of Royal Parade towards anti-immigration protestors on the north side.

The court heard she escorted him away from the area, told him his actions were being recorded and contacted a senior officer on her radio for guidance.