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11/01/2011
'Fire Extinguisher Student' Jailed
A student who threw a fire extinguisher off the roof of London's Millbank Tower during the student fees riots in November has been jailed for 32 months.
Edward Woollard, 18, and fellow protesters stormed inside the Tory Party headquarters on November 10.
Footage showed Woollard throwing an empty metal fire extinguisher from a seventh-floor rooftop as hundreds of people gathered in a courtyard below.
The student, from Hampshire, will serve at least half of his two years, eight months sentence for violent disorder in a young offenders' institution.
Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC praised the teenager's mother for encouraging him to come forward and said the public had a right to protection from violence.
The judge said: "It is deeply regrettable, indeed a shocking thing, for a court to have sentence a young man such as you to a substantial term of custody.
"But the courts have a duty to provide the community with such protection from violence as they can and this means sending out a very clear message to anyone minded to behave in this way that an offence of this seriousness will not be tolerated.
"The right of peaceful protest is a precious one. Those who abuse it and use the occasion to indulge in serious violence must expect a lengthy sentence of immediate custody."
In a written statement to police Woollard apologised for what he had done.
The extinguisher narrowly missed policemen on the ground trying to control the crowds.
The protest was against government plans to increase tuition fee costs to up to £9,000 a year.
(BMcN/GK)
Edward Woollard, 18, and fellow protesters stormed inside the Tory Party headquarters on November 10.
Footage showed Woollard throwing an empty metal fire extinguisher from a seventh-floor rooftop as hundreds of people gathered in a courtyard below.
The student, from Hampshire, will serve at least half of his two years, eight months sentence for violent disorder in a young offenders' institution.
Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC praised the teenager's mother for encouraging him to come forward and said the public had a right to protection from violence.
The judge said: "It is deeply regrettable, indeed a shocking thing, for a court to have sentence a young man such as you to a substantial term of custody.
"But the courts have a duty to provide the community with such protection from violence as they can and this means sending out a very clear message to anyone minded to behave in this way that an offence of this seriousness will not be tolerated.
"The right of peaceful protest is a precious one. Those who abuse it and use the occasion to indulge in serious violence must expect a lengthy sentence of immediate custody."
In a written statement to police Woollard apologised for what he had done.
The extinguisher narrowly missed policemen on the ground trying to control the crowds.
The protest was against government plans to increase tuition fee costs to up to £9,000 a year.
(BMcN/GK)
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'Fire Extinguisher' Protester Pleads Guilty
A student protester has pleaded guilty to violent disorder after throwing a fire extinguisher from the roof of Millbank Tower, two weeks ago, during the university tuition fees demonstrations. Edward Woollard, 18, was arrested after video footage of him throwing the extinguisher surfaced.
'Fire Extinguisher' Protester Pleads Guilty
A student protester has pleaded guilty to violent disorder after throwing a fire extinguisher from the roof of Millbank Tower, two weeks ago, during the university tuition fees demonstrations. Edward Woollard, 18, was arrested after video footage of him throwing the extinguisher surfaced.
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