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Monday, 3 October 2005, 15:47 GMT 16:47 UK
BBC

Four men who stormed the Big Brother studios as part of a Fathers 4 Justice protest have been fined £250 each after admitting public order offences.

The group breached security to get on to the Elstree site in January.

Andrew James of Newport, South Wales, Stephen Smith, of Lockleaze, Bristol and Michael Downes of Newhall Green, Manchester pleaded guilty on Monday.

Roland Primus of Lower Earley, Reading, Berkshire, pleaded guilty on Friday to the same offences.

Big Brother

Charges relating to the incident were dropped against Matthaus Huber, 52, from Dagenham, and Elaine Risk, of Manchester.

St Albans Magistrates Court had heard that the four had managed to break into the property in the early hours of 14 January carrying rucksacks containing the superhero outfits and Fathers 4 Justice paraphernalia.

They were arrested before they could put the costumes on, or gatecrash the Celebrity Big Brother broadcast.

District Judge Geoff Wicks said: "Of course I understand each of the defendant's claims of reason and it may be a reason which has, in terms of that defendant's perception and his individual circumstances, considerable merit.

"The appropriate penalty in my view is fines."

Downes and Smith were also ordered to pay £100 costs.

The other two defendants were ordered to pay £55 in costs because they indicated a guilty plea at an earlier date.

Oct 7 2005
icBirmingham

Two fathers' rights protesters were fined yesterday for their part in a failed protest at the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Jason Hatch (33) and David Pyke ( 49) were arrested outside the Channel 4 studio compound before they were able to launch their protest, in the early hours of January 14.

The pair, along with four other group members, were caught with Fathers 4 Justice banners still rolled up and their trademark superhero costumes still in their rucksacks before they could enter the complex in Elstree, Hertfordshire.

Fireworks were let off, waking neighbours as well as the celebrity housemates, who included feminist Germaine Greer, racing pundit John McCririck and model Caprice.

Firefighters had to cut the pair free after they handcuffed themselves to railings to avoid arrest.

Hatch, of Alstone Mews, Cheltenham, and Pyke, of Swindon Village, near Cheltenham, were convicted at St Albans Magistrates' Court of disorderly conduct and of obstructing a police officer.

They were both fined £400 and ordered to pay a further £ 418 in costs and compensation.

District Judge Geoffrey Wicks told them: "This is not the first time that you have been involved in a demonstration which is designed to attract to your cause the maximum publicity.

"I am not proposing to make martyrs of you because in my view your case does not have sufficient merit to warrant martyrdom."

Speaking outside court Hatch, the Batman protester who scaled the front of Buckingham Palace earlier this year, said he was disappointed at the outcome.

But both he and Pyke, who have since quit the group and have formed their own campaign, Real Fathers 4 Justice, vowed to continue with the high profile protests to win a change in the law for fathers.

He said: "I am disappointed. I'm a single parent and they are just taking away the food from my child to pay a fine for a peaceful protest.

"One good thing that has come out of it, we have joined the Real Fathers 4 Justice and we will both continue to demonstrate, high profile publicity stunts.

"The law is still in a right shambles and we are not going to stop."

Hatch went on: "We have really gone to the limits with the Buckingham Palace stunt, you are going to see a lot more of that sort in the name of Real Fathers 4 Justice. We are real fathers who care and will fight for their children and we will get this law changed."

Oct 13 2005
icBerkshire

LOWER Earley Fathers4Justice member Roland Primus was in a gang of would-be superheroes who stormed Channel Four's Celebrity Big Brother house last year.

St Albans magistrates heard 43-year-old Primus was among a dozen invaders who launched fireworks over the reality TV show's set.

Equipped with torches, a megaphone and his Batman suit Primus and three cohorts - two dressed as Superman and one as Spiderman - planned to highlight the plight of fathers denied access to their children.

Prosecutor Helen Lewer told the court security guards saw the fireworks being let off near the rear gate of the compound via a CCTV monitor, in the early hours of January 14 this year.

She said: "They were launched at the Big Brother house, which has a thatched roof.

"Police were called. It then appeared that there were people within the private property of the compound. Security informed police that persons had been detained."

Officers later arrested Primus, of Fleetham Gardens, and fellow protesters Andrew James, 35, from Newport, Gwent, Michael Downes, 42, from Manchester, and 36-yearold Bristol man Steven Smith.

Primus admitted a charge of disorderly behaviour and was fined £250 and £55 costs. His coaccused admitted similar charges and were also fined.

Defending the father-of-four, Anne Woodcock said he'd had "enormous difficulties" keeping contact with his children over the last six years.

She added: "His intention was simply to peacefully demonstrate and draw attention to the difficulty of single fathers who have problems seeing their children."

Sentencing the four men, District Judge Geoff Wicks told them: "Your offences are against public order, which cannot be justified by your reasons, even though you may have achieved something of what you were hoping."