Edward Colston Four Opt For Trial By Jury
The four people charged with criminal damage for pulling down a bronze statue of slave trader Edward Colston and dumping it in Bristol harbour have pleaded not guilty. Jake Skuse, 36, Rhiannon Graham, 29, Milo Ponsford, 25, and Sage Willoughby, 21, appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court earlier today to deny the charges. They have opted to be tried before a judge and jury. They were bailed and are due to appear at Bristol Crown Court on 8 February. Arrests were made outside the courtroom when protesters ignored warnings not to gather outside the court. The offending bronze statue of slave merchant Edward Colston was pulled off its pedestal during a Black Lives Matter protest on 7 June. On Friday it was announced that two other statues of men involved in the slave trade would be removed from the Guildhall in London. The statues honoured former Lord Mayor of London William Beckford and 17th-century merchant Sir John Cass, who also had a