Protester Oldfield Jailed, Ordered to Pay Fines

(Posted on 20/10/12)

The protester who swam into the paths of the most recent Boat Race was ordered to spend six months in jail as well as ordered to pay £750 in fines and fees. Many may recall seeing Trenton Oldfield make his debut as he swam in front of cameras broadcasting the live race to millions watching the annual Thames race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities on April 7.

He was accused of causing a public nuisance and on Friday, he was found guilty.

Over the course of the trial, Oldfield told a jury at London's Isleworth Crown Court that he believed the event in its entirety was nothing more than a "symbol of elitism in government". He also said it "has the highest inequality in the western world". Following the trial and before today's sentencing, Judge Anne Molyneux made it clear that all options, including jail, were being considered.

The race was eventually won by Cambridge and goes down in history as one of the more interesting races ever. But there was more than Oldfield's dramatic stance that made it interesting. A blade from one of the Oxford oars broke and following that, Alex Woods, the Oxford bowman, collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.

Following his arrest, Oldfield said he believed the race was symbolic to the many issues involving Britain class and that the majority of government officials were "pushing very significant cuts to Oxford or Cambridge graduates". He then said he made the decision to protest the race when he learned the government would be "selling off" NHS. He also said he didn't like the snooping being done on electronic communications between private citizens. Judge Molyneux disagreed and said Oldfield had ruined the race for the fans and that he "caused delay and disruption to it and to the members of the public who had gone to watch it and to enjoy the spectacle of top athletes competing". She then went on to say all of the training the rowers had done for months was shot and that he had no regard for their many sacrifices when he chose to swim in the path of the rowers.

Adding that Oldfield's actions had endangered his life and those of others, the judge said: "You decided that you had the right to stop members of the public enjoying a sporting competition which they had chosen to go and watch. You did not have that right. You did nothing to address inequality by giving yourself the right to spoil the enjoyment of others.

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