LIGHTS OUT

In June police raided Brighton film-maker and SchMOVIES stalwart Paul Light’s house, taking all his digital media, film-making equipment, computers and other personal belongings (See SchNEWS 680). However, there may be light at the end of the tunnel for Paul after it was announced this week that charges against him were to be dropped and his stuff returned. Almost.

Police reckoned he had filmed the EDO decommissioners action in January when a group broke into the Brighton arms equipment factory and did around £250,000 worth of damage in an accountable action (See SchNEWS 663). Paul wasn’t there, and there was no evidence on him. But that didn’t stop the police putting him on the same charge as the decommissioners – conspiracy to commit criminal damage - and raiding his house in what amounted to a fishing expedition looking for footage of other demonstrations.

While the police are due to arrive in a convoy of vans next Monday to return all of Paul’s stuff, they are telling him he won’t be getting his computer back, because it is due to be an exhibit in another EDO-related trial next March and, wait for it, they are also now saying it contains images and material relating to Al-Qaeda! Paul has been left to imagine what on earth they might be talking about.

This latest pathetic attempt to hang something-anything onto Paul - as they manufacture reasons to hang onto his gear in search of video evidence - turns what was already a complete farce into a rollicking nonsense.