Judge refuses to rule out jail for disrupting Boat Race

Boat Race saboteur Trenton Oldfield has today (26th September) been found guilty of causing a public nuisance at Isleworth Crown Court.

Oldfield is due for sentencing on 19th October and Judge Anne Molyneux has said that all options remain open to the court including a jail term.

The self-styled anti-elitist swam into the path of the Oxford and Cambridge crews near Chiswick Eyot earlier this year causing the race to be delayed for half an hour.

Oldfield denied the charge but admitted to disrupting the race.

Early the jury had heard a statement from Sir Matthew Pinsent who had witnessed the stunt first hand. He said that Oldfield's actions put his own life at risk as he may have been killed if he was struck by an oar or the metal rigging on one of the boats.

The court had heard the defendant say that he chose the Boat Race because 70% of the Government pushing through public spending cuts which 'were worse than in Dickens' time' were Oxbridge graduates.

September 26, 2012