FIRE EXTINGUISHER THROWER JAILED

student has been jailed for 32 months for throwing a fire extinguisher off the roof of London's Millbank Tower during the student fees riots in November.

Edward Woollard joined protesters who stormed inside the Millbank complex that houses the Tory Party headquarters on November 10.

The 18-year-old was filmed throwing an empty metal fire extinguisher from a seventh-floor rooftop as hundreds of people gathered in a courtyard below.

Woollard, of Dibden Purlieu, 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 told Woollard the public had a right to protection from violence.

He also praised the teenager's mother for encouraging him to give himself up to police after he was pictured by Sky News during the rioting.

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.

Police try to hold back demonstrators entering Tory Party headquarters

Police tried to stop demonstrators entering the tower

"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."

Southwark Crown Court was shown Sky News footage of Woollard dropping the fire extinguisher from the roof.

Woollard's solicitor said the A-level student "knew what he did was wrong and knew it was unacceptable".

He said: "It was a single moment of madness, unplanned and spontaneous."

Footage from the Sky News helicopter

Aerial view of the extinguisher being dropped

In a written statement to police Woollard apologised for what he had done and said he handed himself in after being told his face was being shown on television.

The extinguisher narrowly missed a line of policemen who were on the ground trying to stop more students from storming and vandalising Millbank Tower.

Several dozen people smashed their way inside the complex, breaking furniture and windows, while others chanted and lit fires outside.

Thousands of students travelled to London on November 10 to demonstrate against government plans to increase tuition fee costs to up to £9,000 a year.

sky News Report

Oh dear.....no more college or university for him..he will be a LAG lol....serve him right. If it had hit someone then he would off been locked up for LIFE!!!!



he got off lightly.



Unemployable now.......just right I think.

kitti wrote:Oh dear.....no more college or university for him..he will be a LAG lol....serve him right. If it had hit someone then he would off been locked up for LIFE!!!!



he got off lightly.



Unemployable now.......just right I think.

Hi Kitti,

Let"s hope future demonstrations by Students will be more orderly because this boys Career is ruined and his reputation. Three cheers for a Mother who
persuaded him to do the right thing.

Serves him right, education at University standard is not a right, it is a privilege to be earned and appreciated.

Those who took part were demonstrating their inability to think as individuals, flock mentality has no place whatever in higher education. If they couldn't forsee the trouble that was going to occur and they would be led astray by political trouble makers and rabble rousers they should return to their junior school lessons and pay more attention this time round.

kitti wrote:Oh dear.....no more college or university for him..he will be a LAG lol....serve him right. If it had hit someone then he would off been locked up for LIFE!!!!



he got off lightly.



Unemployable now.......just right I think.

Why do you say he can't attend college or uni??

I know reformed Prisoners have taken Open University Courses and passed, but this lad is facing quite a time in Jail and tarnished his reputation and if
he wanted to get a degree he might attend a Uni in America rather than have the finger pointed at him in any University in the U.K. for being such an
a***hole. He has let his family down and his Cambridge University.

SOME PEOPLE IN FURTHER EDUCATION SEEM TO HAVE NO COMMON SENSE ETC

Badboy wrote:SOME PEOPLE IN FURTHER EDUCATION SEEM TO HAVE NO COMMON SENSE ETC

Your"e right there Badboy, it"s the drink, the Main Uni where I come from has 4 Bars.!!!