Should Iain Dale be facing prosecution for assault ?

[Guinness Boy]

What if you believe that they intend to cause harm?

He wasn't though. He was getting a shit banner on telly. Iain Dale was worried it might affect his book sales.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

He wasn't though. He was getting a shit banner on telly. Iain Dale was worried it might affect his book sales.

Can that be proven?

As an aside, when does the conference finish? I fancy getting a banner on myself.

 

[Guinness Boy]

People should also have the right to go about their lawful business without some **** trying to hijack it with their own agenda.

No they don't. That's why the paparazzi exist. Choose between that and Pravda.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

No they don't. That's why the paparazzi exist. Choose between that and Pravda.

Do the pap have a right to force someone to deviate their chosen path?

Whether it be a potential criminal or celebrity, you see them herded about.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I fancy getting a banner on myself.

That's called a tattoo i think. If you parade your "wrestle the elderly" slogan mostly clotheslessly then i'd like to see Iain Dale see you as a threat and grapple you mercilessly, whilst your pet ferret attempted to run up trousers that weren't there.

 

[Creaky]

Storm in a teacup - would it really be worth the country spending thousands prosecuting over an incident like this?

If the pensioner wants redress then I'm sure there are plenty of 'no win, no fee' solicitors that would be willing to take on the case.

 

[happypig]

What if you believe that they intend to cause harm?

Then it is for the court to decide that he had reasonable cause to beleive that. If, for example, the old feller was known to him and had assaulted the bloke being interviwed before, then he has a reasonable defence.
In a case like this, the Magistrates would be asked to decide 1. did an assault take place. 2. Did the assailant have reasonable cause to beleive that the victim intended to attack the interviewee and was therefore acting in defence of another.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

John Prescott wouldn't have let the protester anywhere near the cameras.

 

[virtual22]

If you want to do this without the possibility of people being the in the background shot it might be an idea to do it in a non public place where one person has as much right to be there as the other person. Do it on a pavement and you've got to accept that as long as it's legal someone can stand where they want.

 

[BLOCK F]

Thought it was quite amusing.No harm done and the protestor had his moments of fame.
Not worth worrying about IMHO.

 

[SK1NT]

Iain Dale is a lovely guy and really down to earth. I really doubt he is at fault...

He follows me on twitter (about the only person who does)

 

[glasfryn]

Iain Dale is a lovely guy and really down to earth. I really doubt he is at fault...

He follows me on twitter (about the only person who does)

looked to me like he is an arrogant aggressive knob

 

[somerset]

You have no right, in law, to use physical force to prevent someone doing something because you don't agree with it.

Simple restraint is appropriate to stop someone invading your personal space and attempting to disrupt and interfere in your personal activities. Besides, all he did was try to restrain him, the protester was the one who should be prosecuted for throwing a punch..... whats good for the goose....!

 

[Guy Fawkes]

He was heading for the chap. Form would suggest he was harmless, but wouldn't you intervene, if you were in the same position?

Has the right to protest peacefully been outlawed?

Does someone making a peaceful protest give someone else the right to try to force them away physically?

Since when does stopping someone disrupting an interview by holding up a banner justify a physical intervention?

 

[somerset]

Has the right to protest peacefully been outlawed?

Peaceful protest is allowed as long as it is not disrupting anothers' right to go about their daily business.... in this case he was disrupting, that was his intention.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Double post

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Peaceful protest is allowed as long as it is not disrupting anothers' right to go about their daily business.... in this case he was disrupting, that was his intention.

Is the response proportional?

Any effort to ask him to move away first or was the guy hands on trying to drag him away from the interview straight away (the impression given by that video which properly doesn't cover the whole event)

Did the protestor stop them changing location or any other action other than trying to adge himself into shot (with or without any physical contact towards the interviewer, interviewee or any other person in that group?)

 

[SK1NT]

looked to me like he is an arrogant aggressive knob

Didn't you get told never to judge a book by it's cover...

 

[Billy the Fish]

He's hardly assaulted him has he You can't just be allowed to stroll up and interfere with people's business and not expect a physical deterrant.

The dog is absolute comedy genius btw

 

[clippedgull]

Case Over:

Cautioned for Common Assault and has issued a grovelling apology to the person he assaulted.

Iain Dale's full statement and apology about his fight in Brighton.

Following the incident on Brighton seafront on Tuesday morning, I have today voluntarily attended Brighton police station where I accepted a police caution.

The police have informed me they now regard the matter as closed. I want to thank them for the fair and courteous way they have dealt with me throughout.

But above all I want to issue this public apology for my behaviour.

I want to apologise and say sorry to Stuart Holmes, who is a passionate campaigner and well known to everyone who attends party conferences and was perfectly entitled to do as he did on Tuesday in trying to get attention for his causes. It was totally out of character for me to react to him in the way I did.

I also want to apologise for the blogpost I wrote after the incident. It was full of absurd bravado and in the heat of the moment I behaved in a frankly idiotic way.

I have embarrassed not only myself but my family and my work colleagues and I apologise to them.

I also want to apologise to Labour leader Ed Miliband and his conference attendees.

I did apologise personally to Mr Holmes on Tuesday afternoon and we shook hands. He agreed to let the matter rest, but I have no complaint that he changed his mind on reflection.

Since the events of Tuesday I have gone through what happened over and over again in my mind. Whatever I felt at the time, nothing can justify what I did.

In addition, having accepted my guilt, I feel I should make some sort of reparation to Mr Holmes. I will pay for a new placard for him and also make a donation to a charity of his choice.

Finally, people have questioned why I didn't remove the blogpost and why I have said nothing more until now. On the latter point, I was advised not to because the police were involved. On the first point, I felt it important people should be able to have their say. I will have to live with the justified criticisms for a long time.

I know there will be many who will never forgive me for what I did and I understand that, but those who know me will know that I mean every word of my apology to Mr Holmes, Mr Miliband, the Police, my family, friends and colleagues.