A pro-Palestine protestor has been found guilty of a breach of the peace following an “intimidating” disturbance at an Aberdeen branch of Home Bargains.
Willemein Hoogendoorn, 62, was part of a larger group of activists who entered the Beach Boulevard store on February 22 this year.
Hoogendoorn, of Springbank Place, Aberdeen, denied the charges and has been held behind bars since the day of the protest after she refused to agree to bail conditions that would ban her from the store.
Following a two-day trial, Sheriff Margaret Hodge found Hoogendoorn guilty, saying that the activist was “self-serving and unreliable” as a witness.
Sheriff Hodge said that while Hoogendoorn’s offence was “low on the spectrum”, it had been “intimidating” for shop workers, who protesters accused of aiding genocide.
She said the crime of breach of the peace was a “really, really wide” one under Scot’s Law, but decided that there had been intimidation in this case.
Shelf stacker accused of aiding genocide
She said: “There was a big group of people causing a disturbance in the aisles, with a banner and chanting.
“They were asked to move away by one of the shop workers because she was trying to work – but they did not move.”
Sheriff Hodge, referring to CCTV from within the store, said: “One member of the group came straight up to her – this person’s tone was intimidating.
“She was trying to stack shelves and was being told she was putting money into the pockets of people committing genocide.
“It is not fair to say that to someone who was trying to do her job.”
Sheriff Hodge went on to say Hoogendoorn’s motives were “well intended” but added: “She was so bound up in the protest – she would not be noticing if people were rushing out or being upset.
“What was being done by the group was disorderly – and they were acting in an intimidating manner.
“I found Ms Hoogendoorn to be self-serving and unreliable as a witness.”
Lawyer argues for absolute discharge
Hoogendoorn’s defence solicitor Ian Woodward-Nutt asked for his client to be given an absolute discharge, given she had spent more than four weeks on remand.
He said: “She is a woman who feels strongly about supporting Palestinians and their suffering in the Middle East. She believes it is important to make a public stance in relation to what she believes to be large-scale atrocities.”
However, Sheriff Hodge denied his request and instead admonished Hoogendoorn, who has a previous conviction of a similar offence carried out near the Faslane Naval Base.
Mr Woodward-Nutt told the court that incident had “involved a fence” and was at Coalport, near Faslane.