Updates: Protestor Madeleine Budd and Inspector Dean Gittoes Sentenced

As I've been out of the loop on holiday for the last couple of weeks, I thought I'd bring you quick updates on two cases previously reported on Magistrates' Blog.

1. Madeleine Budd

Budd was convicted of the criminal damage of a memorial to Captain Sir Tom Moore. She attracted widespread revulsion by pouring human urine and faeces over the memorial in a stunt to raise the profile of environmental group Just Stop Oil.

Budd appeared for sentencing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 26th October 2022.

District Judge Louisa Cieciora sentenced the former medical student to 21 weeks' custody suspended for 18 months.

Should Budd reoffend in the next 18 months she can expect to go to prison.

Budd was also ordered to pay £200 in compensation, £85 towards prosecution costs and £156 surcharge.

More from the Manchester Evening News.

2. Dean Gittoes

I tweeted about the case of Dean Gittoes, a South Wales Police inspector who was convicted of assaulting a teenager who was "auditing" Merthyr Tydfil police station.

Auditing, for anyone unaware, is the practice of expressing one's right to take photographs or video recordings in a public place. It's an American fad that has spread across the pond. Some auditors, although not in this particular case, up the ante by being as confrontational as possible with anyone who challenges them on their activities. They then upload the footage online for the entertainment of their viewers and ridicule of their subjects.

Gittoes, who had previously featured in a video filmed by a different auditor, approached the vulnerable 16-year-old filming outside Merthyr nick on Saturday, 20th August 2021. Clearly still vexed from his earlier encounter, Gittoes dispensed with the usual pleasantries and quickly arrested the youth "on suspicion of terrorism". CCTV caught the moment he marched the pleading youth into custody in an armlock.

The teenager's camera kept recording and it was quite apparent from background conversations that Gittoes didn't really think he was a terrorist, but simply wanted to teach the "clever little internet freak" a lesson after he had "36,000 calling me shit" in response to the previous video. He also took the opportunity to express how "spineless" his bosses were at their inaction over the previous incident.

Gittoes, 49, of Oak Tree Rise, Merthyr Tydfil, denied assaulting the teenager, but was convicted following a three day trial at Cwmbran Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 5th October 2022.

He was sentenced by District Judge Sophie Toms on Thursday, 27th October 2022. 

Gittoes was handed a 12-month community order with the requirement that he completes 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £250 in compensation to the youth, £930 towards prosecution costs and £95 surcharge.

More from Wales Online.