Not The Day of the Verdict

Not The Day of the Verdict by Fracking on Trial, July 13, 2012
The trial of 3 people accused of disrupting “lawful activity” at a fracking site in Lancashire entered its last day today. The defence case, which finished on Thursday, presented evidence from a number of expert witnesses and local residents on the threat posed by this destructive and dangerous activity. Closing arguments in the four day trial began at 10:00am this morning but Verdict will be at 2pm next Tuesday. The district judge wants more time to consider. The trial, in Preston Magistrates Court, has accepted evidence from a number of expert witnesses including Prof Robert Howath from Cornell Univerity and Dr John Broderick from the Tyndall Centre in Manchester on threat posed by Shale Gas extraction. Evidence was also presented from Caroline Lucas MP on the urgent threat of posed by climate change and need for protests like this to catalyse change. … Residents from around the Cuadrilla Resources sites in Lancashire testified to property damage and health effects caused by the fracking operations last year that resulted in several earthquakes, and to the total lack of notice or consultation they received before planning permission was granted. Other witnesses raised issues around environmental permitting and planning permissions for Cuadrilla’s activities.