Two anti-arms protesters who glued and locked themselves to the gates of a factory have been found guilty of aggravated trespass.

Jessica Nero and Gavin Pidwell were found guilty of the offence at Brighton Magistrates’ Court yesterday (August 23) after locking themselves to the gates of the EDO factory in Home Farm Road, Moulsecoomb, in April last year.

However, Nero, 35, of Graham Road in Mitcham, and Pidwell, 26 of no fixed address, avoided a possible jail sentence and instead were given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £200 each in costs.

After the trial, the protesters said they would look to appeal the conviction.

Magistrate Peter Privett said their protests had gone beyond “peaceful protest”.

The pair admitted they had trespassed on private land but claimed the factory had suffered no disruption during the protest with only recycling lorries and waste trucks stopped from carrying out their duties.

However, magistrates dismissed the argument saying staff had to be redeployed from factory work to remove a section of gate for access, other staff were told to arrive later to avoid any possible confrontation and three deliveries were delayed.

EDO managing director Paul Hills said the firm had lost 100 hours of work because people could not get in and out while the protest was taking place.

'Disruption and obstruction'

The defence argued that their actions were in protest at “unlawful activity” carried out by EDO.

But the court said it could find no evidence that the firm’s components had been used by American or Israeli forces in cluster bombs which were outlawed in Britain in 2010.

Mr Privett said: “We fully appreciate that Miss Nero’s main intention was to draw attention to EDO. However to do so she did cause disruption and obstruction.

“We don’t doubt the sincerity of both the defendants to their anti-military cause.

“However this form of protest in locking on went beyond peaceful protest.”

Defending Nero, Victoria Kerley likened the pair’s actions to the Suffragette movement.

She said: “They had to raise awareness of the movement to gain people’s support. You can’t just change the law with two suffragettes who found a law abhorrent.”

Following her conviction, Nero told The Argus: “We will have a chat with our solicitors but I think we might appeal.

“It’s a long, ongoing struggle to bring the actions of EDO to the public and this is just one of the ways we will do this.”