- Fathers4Justice campaigner on HUNGER STRIKE after he is handed jail sentence for spray-painting ‘help’ on Queen's portrait
- By Jonathan Symcox
- 06/02/2014 Make a Comment (3)
- Contributed by: Rambo ( 29 articles in 2014 )
Jailed: Tim Haries
Dad-of-two Tim Haries said: “I consider that as the custodial sentence is a politically motivated decision. I therefore now regard myself as a political prisoner"
A Fathers4Justice campaigner was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment today for defacing a portrait of the Queen with paint in Westminster Abbey.
Tim Haries, who told jurors he vandalised the picture to highlight the “social justice issue of our time”, had denied a charge of causing criminal damage of more than £5,000 but was found guilty at London’s Southwark Crown Court last month.
After the hearing the group said in a statement that Haries had begun a hunger strike after being sent to prison, in protest at the “politically motivated” sentence.
It said: “He will continue his hunger strike until his case is reopened and he is reunited with his daughters.”
Haries said: “I hereby declare that the judge’s decision to ignore the Probation Service’s recommendation of a community service order and replace it with a custodial sentence leaves me with no alternative than to enter an immediate hunger strike.
“I consider that as the custodial sentence is well outside of the Probation Service recommendations, this can only be a politically motivated decision. I therefore now regard myself as a political prisoner.
“My only crime is to fight to see my two daughters whom I love dearly, after being ordered to abandon them by the family courts.
“My children and I have done nothing to warrant such treatment by the courts and our Government.”
He revealed he had made a final application to the Family Courts to be reunited with his children and added: “My fast will continue until this application is granted.
'Until this application is granted I will accept nothing but water, no food, sugar, glucose, vitamins, supplements etc. I hereby insist that any medical examinations are conducted by an external and independent doctor.”
The father-of-two smuggled a can of purple spray paint into the Abbey on June 13 last year before writing the word “help” on the painting, which is worth £160,000.
Recorder of Westminster Judge Alistair McCreath told him: “This was a deliberate and planned causing of damage to a valuable item of property on public display, carried out as a publicity exercise.”
The judge said the sentence must acknowledge Haries’ distress and unhappiness, but have regard to the case’s aggravating features, and to a degree deter others.
Jurors heard how Haries shouted “fathers for justice” as he scrawled the graffiti on the large oil painting before being tackled to the ground by steward Peter Crook.
He told Mr Crook: “Sorry mate, I’ve got nothing against the Queen,” before telling a police officer who arrived at the scene that he was “guilty as charged”.
Photographs of the incident were posted on a Fathers4Justice Facebook page.
Haries, 42, decided to represent himself towards the end of his trial and directly addressed jurors, telling them he carried out the act as a protest against the “social catastrophe” of fathers not being allowed access to their children.
He said that, while he had nothing against the Queen personally, he targeted her portrait because of her symbolic role as head of the justice system.
Haries, of Bellis Avenue, Doncaster, later said he “would not hesitate to petition the Queen again by peaceful protest on behalf of my children and the millions of children separated from their fathers by the British Government”.
The portrait by artist Ralph Heimans was cordoned off by a rope in the Abbey’s Chapter House as part of a wider exhibition to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The 11ft by 9ft painting was bought by Westminster Abbey for £160,000 after being on display in the artist’s native Australia.
The court heard today it cost £9,204 to repair, with insurers paying £4,000 and an excess of £5,000.
The oil on canvas depicts the Queen in the sacrarium of Westminster Abbey, also known as the Coronation Theatre, standing at the centre circle of the Cosmati pavement, on the spot where she was crowned.
The judge said he was in no position to come to any informed conclusions about why the Family Court ultimately denied Haries access to his children - other than to observe that in the system of family justice, the needs and interests of the children were paramount.
“I accept that your separation from your daughters for a period of four years caused you real anguish. I also accept that you felt that the legal processes by which you tried to have contact with them had failed you.
“But I do not accept that the means that you chose to adopt to make your protest were in any way justified.
“This was, in reality, a choice you made, not a sudden ill-considered act under immediate provocation.”
Haries had prepared by buying a can of spray paint and taking it into the Abbey, the judge said.
“You caused damage to the painting, disappointment to those who had come to see it, cost to the Abbey and their insurance in putting it right, and almost certainly some degree of offence to many people who would regard an attack on a portrait of the monarch as unacceptable.
“I am satisfied that your assertion that you intended to do no more than cause damage which could be easily repaired is simply not true.
“I have no doubt that you intended to do as much damage as you could, and it was only the intervention of Mr Crook that limited the damage to the extent that it was possible to repair the painting at a cost less than £10,000.”
The judge said the opportunity to have close access to works of art was greatly valued by many people.
“Those who act as you did put that opportunity at risk. It would be a sad day when works of art can only be viewed from a distance or from behind barriers.”
Haries had about 20 supporters in court for the hearing and there were shouts directed towards the judicial bench at the end of “disgusting”, “shame on you” and “Fathers4Justice”.
There was also a shout of “how about justice?” during the judge’s sentencing remarks and he threatened to have the court cleared before two supporters gave undertakings not to make further interruptions.
A Fathers4Justice campaigner was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment today for defacing a portrait of the Queen with paint in Westminster Abbey.
Tim Haries, who told jurors he vandalised the picture to highlight the “social justice issue of our time”, had denied a charge of causing criminal damage of more than £5,000 but was found guilty at London’s Southwark Crown Court last month.
After the hearing the group said in a statement that Haries had begun a hunger strike after being sent to prison, in protest at the “politically motivated” sentence.
It said: “He will continue his hunger strike until his case is reopened and he is reunited with his daughters.”
Haries said: “I hereby declare that the judge’s decision to ignore the Probation Service’s recommendation of a community service order and replace it with a custodial sentence leaves me with no alternative than to enter an immediate hunger strike.
“I consider that as the custodial sentence is well outside of the Probation Service recommendations, this can only be a politically motivated decision. I therefore now regard myself as a political prisoner.
“My only crime is to fight to see my two daughters whom I love dearly, after being ordered to abandon them by the family courts.
“My children and I have done nothing to warrant such treatment by the courts and our Government.”
He revealed he had made a final application to the Family Courts to be reunited with his children and added: “My fast will continue until this application is granted.
'Until this application is granted I will accept nothing but water, no food, sugar, glucose, vitamins, supplements etc. I hereby insist that any medical examinations are conducted by an external and independent doctor.”
The father-of-two smuggled a can of purple spray paint into the Abbey on June 13 last year before writing the word “help” on the painting, which is worth £160,000.
Recorder of Westminster Judge Alistair McCreath told him: “This was a deliberate and planned causing of damage to a valuable item of property on public display, carried out as a publicity exercise.”
The judge said the sentence must acknowledge Haries’ distress and unhappiness, but have regard to the case’s aggravating features, and to a degree deter others.
Jurors heard how Haries shouted “fathers for justice” as he scrawled the graffiti on the large oil painting before being tackled to the ground by steward Peter Crook.
He told Mr Crook: “Sorry mate, I’ve got nothing against the Queen,” before telling a police officer who arrived at the scene that he was “guilty as charged”.
Photographs of the incident were posted on a Fathers4Justice Facebook page.
Haries, 42, decided to represent himself towards the end of his trial and directly addressed jurors, telling them he carried out the act as a protest against the “social catastrophe” of fathers not being allowed access to their children.
He said that, while he had nothing against the Queen personally, he targeted her portrait because of her symbolic role as head of the justice system.
Haries, of Bellis Avenue, Doncaster, later said he “would not hesitate to petition the Queen again by peaceful protest on behalf of my children and the millions of children separated from their fathers by the British Government”.
The portrait by artist Ralph Heimans was cordoned off by a rope in the Abbey’s Chapter House as part of a wider exhibition to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The 11ft by 9ft painting was bought by Westminster Abbey for £160,000 after being on display in the artist’s native Australia.
The court heard today it cost £9,204 to repair, with insurers paying £4,000 and an excess of £5,000.
The oil on canvas depicts the Queen in the sacrarium of Westminster Abbey, also known as the Coronation Theatre, standing at the centre circle of the Cosmati pavement, on the spot where she was crowned.
The judge said he was in no position to come to any informed conclusions about why the Family Court ultimately denied Haries access to his children - other than to observe that in the system of family justice, the needs and interests of the children were paramount.
“I accept that your separation from your daughters for a period of four years caused you real anguish. I also accept that you felt that the legal processes by which you tried to have contact with them had failed you.
“But I do not accept that the means that you chose to adopt to make your protest were in any way justified.
“This was, in reality, a choice you made, not a sudden ill-considered act under immediate provocation.”
Haries had prepared by buying a can of spray paint and taking it into the Abbey, the judge said.
“You caused damage to the painting, disappointment to those who had come to see it, cost to the Abbey and their insurance in putting it right, and almost certainly some degree of offence to many people who would regard an attack on a portrait of the monarch as unacceptable.
“I am satisfied that your assertion that you intended to do no more than cause damage which could be easily repaired is simply not true.
“I have no doubt that you intended to do as much damage as you could, and it was only the intervention of Mr Crook that limited the damage to the extent that it was possible to repair the painting at a cost less than £10,000.”
The judge said the opportunity to have close access to works of art was greatly valued by many people.
“Those who act as you did put that opportunity at risk. It would be a sad day when works of art can only be viewed from a distance or from behind barriers.”
Haries had about 20 supporters in court for the hearing and there were shouts directed towards the judicial bench at the end of “disgusting”, “shame on you” and “Fathers4Justice”.
There was also a shout of “how about justice?” during the judge’s sentencing remarks and he threatened to have the court cleared before two supporters gave undertakings not to make further interruptions.
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fathers4justice-campaigner-tim-haries-handed-3115643
HMP WANDSWORTH
Tim Haries
Prisoner number A4278DD
Heathfield Road
Wandsworth
London
SW18 3HR
I would not hesitate to petition the Queen again by peaceful protest on behalf of my children, and the millions of children separated from their fathers by the British Government. Every Family Court Judge who separates fathers from their children does so with the authority of the Queen and sits in front of the Queen’s Coat of Arms.
My actions were a direct appeal to the Queen to ask her to intervene on behalf of our children in what I believe is the social justice issue of our time.
I would like to state that my children’s lives are worth more than any painting. To me they are priceless.
My defence team argued that the UK Government had breached Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights and my rights to family life which has separated me from my two daughters for the last four years. I love and miss Scarlett 10 and Katie 13 more than anything. The pain of losing my children has been like a living bereavement for me.
I believe that contact denial is a hate crime and an abuse of a child’s fundamental human rights to their father. I also believe that each of us has a moral responsibility to prevent this from happening and to draw attention to the social catastrophe that is mass fatherlessness.
Both the Coalition Government and the previous Labour Government are directly responsible for this situation and the systemic segregation of fathers from their children which has resulted in nearly 4 million children growing up without a father.
They have denied the 40,000 families in Fathers4Justice any representation in Parliament since 2001. The Conservative Party broke their 2010 election promise to introduce a legal presumption of shared parenting and the Government has supported the conclusions of the 2011 Norgrove report which said that fathers have no rights and deserve no rights.
My desperation at not seeing my children was further heightened when I attended a shared parenting debate organised by George Galloway MP in Parliament on 12th June 2013 (the day before my protest and just days before Father’s Day 2013). Just four MP’s out of 650 attended.
As a result of this disgraceful attendance and the obvious contempt MP’s have for the children and families ripped apart in secret courts, I felt compelled to act. Since then just 46 MP’s have signed George Galloway’s Early Day Motion 210 supporting Shared Parenting Rights.
Finally I would like to say that I didn’t only act for my children, but for all the families that will be touched by the cancer of family breakdown. It is a statistical fact that family breakdown will effect everyone in this country at some point.
I accept today’s verdict and any subsequent sentence that is passed. I have the utmost respect for the law.
It is a pity that the law does not respect or recognise me as a father.
I would also like to thank everybody for their support especially, the police and civilian staff at Charing Cross Police station, my legal team.
Tim Haries – Father to Katie and Scarlet
Source: http://www.fathers-4-justice.org/category/tim-haries/
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