Four charged over toppling of Edward Colston statue in Bristol in June
Written by News on 10/12/2020
Four people have been charged with criminal damage over the toppling of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol in June, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.
Rhian Graham, 29, Milo Ponsford, 25, Jake Skuse, 32, and Sage Willoughby, 21, are all expected to appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 25 January.
The bronze statue dedicated to the 17th century slave trader was toppled on 7 June as part of the Black Lives Matter protests, and was later dumped in Bristol Harbour.
After it was recovered from the water, it was found to have suffered £3,750 worth of damage.
At the time no arrests were made, but Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation.
On Wednesday, the CPS said it had authorised charges based on a review of a file of evidence from the force.
A spokesman said: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against all four are now active and that they have the right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
(c) Sky News 2020: Four charged over toppling of Edward Colston statue in Bristol in June
