MPs warn of ‘dangerous precedent’ being set after ‘Colston 4’ were cleared of criminal damage

MPS yesterday warned of a “dangerous precedent” being set after protesters who toppled a statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston were cleared of criminal damage.

Rhian Graham, 30, Milo Ponsford, 26, Jake Skuse, 33, and Sage Willoughby, 22, admitted involvement — but claimed the bronze memorial itself was a hate crime.

After a two-week trial, the jury agreed with their legal arguments and cheers erupted in the public gallery when the not guilty verdict was returned.

But Tory MP Tom Hunt said: “I’m deeply concerned by the precedent set here.

"It could give green light for all sorts of political extremists to take matters into their own hands, shun the democratic processes for removing certain statues and to ransack our past.”

Former minister Tim Loughton added: “It effectively allows anyone to rip down statues, vandalise public art and memorials or desecrate buildings, because they disagree with what they stand for.”

Graham, Ponsford and Willoughby were cleared despite CCTV showing them passing rope around the statue of Colston before it was pulled down.

Skuse had been accused of orchestrating a plan to throw it into Bristol harbour during the Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020.

The four chose to have the case heard by a jury at the city’s crown court even though the case could have been dealt with by magistrates.

After the verdict, Raj Chada — who represented Skuse — said: “The truth is that the defendants should never have been prosecuted.”