A former Northern Ireland squaddie “kettled” by riot cops during the violent G20 protest in the City of London hurled his rucksack at police lines after spending five hours penned in at the Bank of England.
Jobless lorry driver William Harvey, 44, of Argyl Avenue, Hounslow pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour towards police officers in Cornhill on April 1 and was bound over to keep the peace for twelve months in the sum of £250 and was ordered to pay £50 costs.
“He is particularly embarrassed because previously he was trained in defusing volatile situation having served in Northern Ireland,” Harvey’s lawyer Mr. Niall Hearty told City of London Magistrates’ Court.
Harvey was the only one of twenty-eight defendants appearing on G20-related charges to plead guilty.
Prosecutor Mr. Edmund Hall told JP’s: “Mr. Harvey was seen by a police evidence gatherer and recorded on CCTV throwing a rucksack over police lines. It landed in an empty space.
“He was about ten rows back at the time and not in the melee and when he was arrested about four hours later said he was frustrated and threw the rucksack containing a towel and his wallet.”
Mr. Hearty said: “He intended to take part in a peaceful gathering that day, but found himself penned in by the Bank of England.
“He found it very frustrating. He was kettled in for five hours with large numbers of people and was unable to go to the toilet.”
Harvey, like many other demonstrators claims he was the victim of police brutality. “Another protester was struck by a police officer and as he bent down to assist he was struck by the police,” explained Mr. Hearty.
“He is the only defendant who has pleaded guilty today and taken responsibility for his actions. He was not intending to hurt any police officers. It was an act of sheer frustration.”
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