Appeal thrown out

Gary Meyerhoff, the Grimsby-born Australian who burst into the Northern Territory's Parliament to protest about drug laws, has had an appeal against his conviction dismissed.

Mr Meyerhoff, who holds dual citizenship, was sentenced to 21 months in March 2003 after he was found guilty of disrupting the parliament in session on May 14, 2002, as previously reported. About half the Northern Territory's Parliament gave evidence during the trial and the sentence was to be suspended after five months.

But Mr Meyerhoff, who lived in Marshchapel and New Waltham before moving to Australia with his parents when he was nine, appealed against his conviction.

Summing up his reasons for rejecting the appeal, Justice David Angel told Darwin's supreme court that he accepted that the disturbance had been based on "strongly-held views".

"The appellant Meyerhoff was instrumental in founding an association which believes all drugs should be decriminalised and that there should be controlled availability of drugs, including opiates."

Mr Meyerhoff told the Telegraph that he and four others would appeal the sentence.

He said that he expected to be jailed should he lose that appeal.

No date for the sentence appeal hearing has yet been set.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 23rd September 2004
Source: Grimsby Evening Telegraph (UK)
Author: Lisa Parry
Website: http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk