Mr Moir had plead guilty to the charge of malicious damage of a GM crop trial at Daviot Aberdeenshire in July 2000.

Due to the Fiscal's erroneous assertion that the trial in question had had to be abandoned due to the damage inflicted by protesters (Mr Moir was among a group of activists who participated in the crop trashing) the Judge put him on good behaviour for nine months until the 30th of December so the matter of monetary damages could be further investigated.

The Fiscal had stated that she was acting on information provided by Aventis who had clearly misled the court, for Dr Geoff Squire of the Scottish Crop Research Institute, the body charged with monitoring the trials, has always maintained that the trial had not been significantly affected (a catastrophic meteor hit wouldn't affect the validity of the trials according to that man!) and it is the case that (unfortunately) no GM trials in Aberdeenshire have ever had to be abandoned because of the actions of activists.

Mr Moir has had this matter hanging over him for almost two years and this further delay is most unwelcome.

Coming from a farming background Mr Moir is concerned about the impact that GM contamination will have on the livelihoods of farmers as well as the environmental and health impacts of the trials. Given that he is still awaiting his full sentencing he is not at liberty to discuss the case and the Sheriff clearly stated that he was keeping Mr Moir on good behaviour over the summer to ensure he did not try and decontaminate any other fields. Yet another travesty of justice.

Contact details -    Helena Forsyth, Grampian Against GM, (01224) 622389
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