Kelly attacker 'not scared' by jail threat

Seb Ramsay

July 26, 2006

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Ruth Kelly hit by an egg

A FATHERS' rights campaigner who pelted former Education Secretary Ruth Kelly with eggs has said he is not afraid of going to jail.

Michael Downes, 44, of Newall Green, Wythenshawe, pleaded guilty to assault and the case was adjourned for a probation service report.

Downes, who is a member of the campaign group Real Fathers 4 Justice, was bailed until August 15, but Trafford magistrates warned that despite his guilty plea he could still be jailed.

Outside the court he said he had thrown eggs at Ms Kelly to represent: "the two fathers a week who commit suicide because of the actions and inactions of the family court".

"I'm not worried about doing time but I'd like to see my son pass out from Army training so I decided to plead guilty and not to protract things," he said.

"You have to appreciate what this was; it's just an egging - it's been accepted as a form of peaceful protest for years."

Handcuff

The court was told he broke an egg over Ms Kelly's head and threw another one at her when she attended Salford magistrates' court in February.

Ms Kelly, now minister for local government, community and women, had been called to give evidence against another protestor who tried to handcuff her at a pre-election meeting in Bolton.

She escaped the witness box after the man pleaded guilty.

Downes's last-minute guilty plea yesterday again saved the Bolton West MP from giving evidence. Ms Kelly was brought in through the back of the Sale court door amid a heavy police presence. More than 20 officers patrolled the court - and videoed everyone who entered the area.

A handful of Real Fathers 4 Justice supporters turned up for the hearing where Downes's previous convictions were revealed.

In May last year, he received a conditional discharge after throwing an egg at Tony Blair's car in Oldham. The following month he was fined é500 after climbing on top of Manchester Crown Court dressed as Batman.

He received another conditional discharge after he dressed as Santa Claus and climbed a gantry over the M4 near Cardiff, and he was later convicted of a public order offence outside the Big Brother house.

Finally, last month he was convicted of criminal damage after gluing door locks at Trafford Town Hall.

Should Michael Downes be jailed for the attack on Ruth Kelly? Have your say.

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Asbo threat for Kelly egg attacker

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Colin W, Stockholm (26/07/2006 at 13:14)

good for him. show these Mps for what they truly are

Anthony, Accrington,Lancashire (26/07/2006 at 13:52)

Good show of defiance!!!

Andrew Steiger, WI, USA (26/07/2006 at 16:35)

Egging is a political statement, it's was called freedom of speech. What we really need is an omelet specifically cooked for these artisans of deception. If your job security lies simply on the misery of fathers and children at taxpayer expense, they deserve more than egging.

Mark Bogan, Yellowknife, NT Canada (26/07/2006 at 17:29)

This campaigner ranks right up there with Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi. A true hero seeking justice and equality for all. Way to sir I salute you.

Jeremy Swanson, Ottawa Canada (26/07/2006 at 18:31)

Michael Downes is a modern-day hero. If the rest of us had even an ounce of the courage he has-and used it accordingly in this desperate struggle for justice-we might make progress in this war on men and fathers that threatens to change the face of the family and thus civilization forever.

In another time, in Europe, more men like Michael fighting another bunch of tyrants that once threatened the word might have made all the difference. Instead society turned away and pretended they did not see. In time they became collaborators and part of the tyranny. Their indifference condemned them all. And the world was engulfed.

There is no difference in the level and the intensity of the analogy and the historic parallels. In time people will realize what Michael Downes was fighting for and against. And they will know that he should have been supported rather than condemned.

JS

Steve, Longsight (26/07/2006 at 19:21)

New LAbour have exposed themselves as liars and incompetence. They have treated the voters with contempt and deserve all that is coming to them.

Ruth Kelly is awoman who is incredibly patronising.

d sykes, ontario canada (26/07/2006 at 19:55)

give him a medal. he should be declared a national hero.

In Canada our system is so rotten that the law is being changed to dismiss criminal offenses made by politicians should the offense be technically illegal but not warrant a conviction. Meanwhile commoners like myself are charged and persecuted to the full extent of the law for damaging our own property.

Feminists have made us this way. God bless men who want to take their testicles back out of some womans purse!

Doug, Canada (26/07/2006 at 20:12)

Congrats to Michael Downs for having the guts to do this. We need to do this in Canada!!

Don, the 14%er, Sherman, Texas, USA (26/07/2006 at 20:54)

Which is worse: Egg on your face or being ordered to live apart from your kids? Michael Downes should receive an award for his dedication to justice. The ones who should receive jail time are those who systematically remove children from decent loving fathers.

Bob Norton, Milford, Massachusetts USA (26/07/2006 at 21:07)

Mike is a hero who cares more about children than his own personal safety. Like all peaceful protest this is designed to bring public attention to a very serious problem that is damaging generations of children due to sexula bias and outdated traditions. We know for a scientific fact that the best interests of the child means equal exposure and time with both parents, except in cases of actual abuse and harm or an unfit parent. This should be the legal presumption and a high bar required to do anything by equal shared parenting. Yet the "legal" band plays on for economic benefit of special interest groups in the divorce industry. They should all be ashamed of making a living by destroying family bonds that will cause direct and serious harm to children for life and cause enormous suicide and pain for fathers and others.
Fathers For Justice people are heroes and should be treated that way. They are sacrificing themselves for justice and children.
The mdeia should print every one of these stories until family courts are fixed. This is a world wide issue and even against UN rights declarations.

Brian Ersoy, Canada (26/07/2006 at 21:19)

When they legally violating basic human right in family courts, this is the minimum they can expect

Kevin Thompson, Methuen, Massachusetts, USA (27/07/2006 at 02:46)

I applaud the actions taken by Michael Downes. These low-life hypocrites, who are removing decent, loving fathers from the lives of their children should be thankful that they are only getting pelted with eggs. They are the real criminals - abusing children under the color of law.

dad4justice, New Zealand (27/07/2006 at 08:47)

Evidence and statistics clearly correlate an increase of teen suicide, drug taking and crime in children who have no relationship with their father , and in the case of daughters, this extends also to eating disorders and pregancy. However , the Family Court continues to condone the behaviour of mothers who lie, defraud, cheat and falsely accuse fathers, usually purely only for vindictive retribution and all in effort to achieve the restriction and prevention of their children's rights. Therefore , it seems irresponsible of fathers to allow this to happen without protest. In solidarity - dad4justice

Dave, Manchester (27/07/2006 at 10:40)

A man with conviction and passion for a most worthy cause, our children being able to have fathers in their lives, no he shouldn't go to jail. It is heroes like this that make this country great, and sadly there are not enough people who stand up for injustice and sacrifice their liberty in the name of awareness and change. Mr Downe's efforts to keep the Family Law debate alive are in my book worthy and a true testimony to how bad the whole system is. Let's see more people standing up and being heard. Action like this are only ever necessary when you have a Government that fails to listen to genuine social issues, and you don't get any more genuine than the plight of children denied a father in their lives for no good reason.

steve moxon, sheffield (27/07/2006 at 10:43)

It is a scandal that the time-honoured way of expressing contempt for politicians is now subject to criminal sanction. There is no possible way that an egg can cause anyone any kind of injury. Politicians always used to take eggs (and tomatoes) in good spirit. The convention was to throw not fresh eggs and tomatoes but ones that were rotten, so the protesting act has been sanitised.
At some point in the future I will be using the same time-honoured protest method to highlight the appalling civil rights abuses against men in general.

Sam Cino, Hamilton canada (27/07/2006 at 15:34)

ruth is the one that should be halled off to jail.

If taking children away from innocent fathers not a "Terrorrist act" what is?

democratic nations believe that fathers are not good enough to raise their own children but are good enough to raise some other single mothers children children .GO figure???

family courts are the cancer of society and must be abolished

Sam Cino God bless our children

John T. Smith, CANADA (28/07/2006 at 15:55)

What's frightening and almost unbearably sad about this is that before a man can risk taking public political action of this sort, he must essentially abandon any hope of ever receiving what little justice the family courts might one day deign to give him. Mr Downes' children are grown now and thus free of them, but imagine a Court's reaction if they weren't and tomorrow he were to appear for a custody hearing. Not a pleasant thought.

He's quite obviously a hero to those who understand what this fight is about, and one feels certain he has always been one to the children he fought so long and hard for.

But heroes are often lonely men when the cheering dies down and the bands stop playing....

Terry Lear, Toronto, Canada (29/07/2006 at 03:00)

Michael Downes is a REAL HERO.

It is common knowledge globally, that countless lawyers and judges encourage, and deliberately orchestrate, vicious acrimony between ex-spouses, year after year, in our very sad World's, rapidly expanding, "Divorce Court Empire".

MPs refuse, again and again, to correct this awful quagmire.... Perhaps many MPs were once lawyers.... Hmmmmmmmm......!

Countless judges and lawyers, without any consciences, only wish to continue feeding, in true "piranha style", their insatiable, and completely disgusting lust for an unlimited financial wealth.

These countless lawyers and judges might change their clearly repugnant and totally unacceptable ways, if any of their Children or Grandchildren were sadly to commit suicide because of a brutal divorce.

Our Children and our Families should not be afraid of Terrorists or known hostile Nations, as their worst enemies are those persons who operate within our Divorce Courts................

Lawyers and judges always "Win". Families always "Lose"....... Devastating and So Very Sad Indeed.....

As for you Ms. Ruth Kelly, I am quite certain that you would not wish to be deprived of spending valuable time with any of your four Children in the event of a divorce. Wake up, and do the right thing by stating the truth publicly:

"ALL CHILDREN must spend EQUAL TIME with BOTH good parents after separation and divorce.... It's simply common sense..."

Terry Lear - Toronto, Canada

Andy, Wythenshawe (29/07/2006 at 19:09)

I for one, and im sure i speak for the majority in the U.K are sick of this group criminal activists, many that have a previous crminal record.
Clearly they have gathered on this news item to give a false impression that their actions are justified, they are not.
These individuals are too stupid to realise that a non vilolent, non criminal protest is far more successful at getting public backing .
The 2 members at Hoylake showed their mentality, attacking a sporting event that is respected by many, ... they have turned public opinion against them, they are a laughing stock.

AdVader, Utrecht, Netherlands (01/08/2006 at 12:05)

certainly not, the real criminals are judges and mothers, divorce is allready childabuse, western and arabian countries are backwards concerning equal parent rights. Children must have the right of care, upbringing and familylives of borh biological parents. Judges disregard these human rights, ackowledge the pain and suffering done to children mostly their father and his family. Stop defathering, stop womens 'rights' over other mens lives! Stop facilatating the lies and dissociating fairy tales of antisocial own choices!

Mick, London (15/08/2006 at 20:04)

Yes he should serve a prison sentence.

People like this should serve prison time for justice to work not some community service.

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