Barton Moss, Manchester, UK. 10th Feb, 2014. Mr Freeman Steve Spy, Dr Peers, Steven Peers a Lawful Observer arrested when he refused to provide a breath test after Protests by anti-fracking campaigners. A policing operation by Greater Manchester Police continues at IGAS Drilling Site at Barton Moss. Protestors are seeking to delay and obstruct delivery vehicles and drilling equipment en-route to the controversial gas exploration site. Fracking protestors have set up a camp at Barton Moss Road, Eccles a potential methane-gas extraction site in Salford, Greater Manchester.
An anti-fracking campaigner who illegally filmed cases in court then uploaded the footage on to YouTube has been jailed for contempt. Father-of-four Steven Peers, 47 of Scholes Drive in Moston, filmed a case at Wigan Magistrates' court last October then recorded a second case at Manchester Civil Justice Centre later the same month. Both videos were uploaded to a YouTube account under the name ‘Stevespy’, which Peers admitted he controlled, a court was told. The footage, which was spotted by a police officer who raised the alarm, was titled ‘Jay and Steve spy in court’, Liverpool and Knowlsley Magistrates' Court heard on Wednesday. Peers, who acted as a ‘lawful observer’ at the anti-fracking protest camp based at Barton Moss in Salford pleaded guilty to two charges under the Contempt of Court Act and was jailed for 10 weeks. A ban on filming and recording court proceedings is contained within section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925 and sections 9 and 14 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981. CCTV footage from the court linked Peers to the videos. Lionel Cope, prosecuting, said Peers claimed he was being ‘lawfully rebellious under the Magna Carta’ when interviewed by police. The court heard he had been convicted of attacking his wife 12 months before the latest offences and was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for two years. A district judge activated the original sentence but reduced it by two weeks after hearing Peers had worked well with the Probation Service. He will serve half of the resulting 10-week sentence behind bars. Peers, an electrical engineer, was arrested at the Eccles anti-fracking site in January last year for refusing a breath test after a policeman accused him of driving to the site drunk. He responded that he had only drunk tea but was later charged. The case against him however collapsed when prosecutors offered no evidence in court.
Size: 2400px × 3600px
Location: Manchester, Barton Moss, UK.
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
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