- Queen portrait vandal on hunger strike!
- By JULIAN DRAPE, AAP LONDON CORRESPONDENT
- The Australian
- 06/02/2014 Make a Comment (1)
- Contributed by: Daveyone ( 18 articles in 2014 )
A BRITISH fathers' rights campaigner, who defaced a portrait of the Queen by Australian artist Ralph Heimans, has started a hunger strike after being jailed for six months.
Tim Haries was found guilty in January of defacing the portrait with purple spray paint last June, while it was hanging in Westminster Abbey.
Crown court judge Alistair McCreath on Wednesday said Haries, 42, had made a "carefully considered decision" that he would gain publicity for himself and his cause by targeting the Diamond Jubilee portrait.
"You caused damage to the painting, disappointment to those who had come to see it, cost to the Abbey and their insurers in putting it right and almost certainly some degree of offence to many people who would regard an attack on a portrait of the monarch as unacceptable," the judge said in sentencing Haries to six months' imprisonment.
Haries immediately announced he was going on a hunger strike via a statement issued by the UK-based Fathers4Justice group.
The electrician from South Yorkshire said the judge's decision to impose a custodial sentence rather than a community service order, as recommended by the probation service, "leaves me with no alternative than to enter an immediate hunger strike".
"This can only be a politically-motivated decision," Haries said.
"I therefore now regard myself as a political prisoner. My only crime is to fight to see my two daughters whom I love dearly."
The father-of-two has previously stated he scrawled the word "help" on Heimans' STG160,000 ($A293,900) portrait in mid-2013 to protest the "social catastrophe" of fathers being denied access to their children.
Judge McCreath on Wednesday accepted Haries thought the legal system had failed him and he felt "real anguish" at being separated from his daughters for four years.
"I do not, however, accept that the means you chose to adopt to make your protest were in any way justified," he said.
It cost STG9200 ($A16,900) to repair the portrait, which is now back on public display.
Judge McCreath didn't believe Haries' claim that he intended to do no more damage than could be easily repaired.
Left & above: Tim Haries
"You intended to do as much damage as you could," the judge said, adding it was only the intervention of an Abbey steward that prevented further vandalism.
Sydney-born Heimans has previously said he was "extremely shocked" when he heard his portrait had been attacked, but was thankful Her Majesty's face was not defaced.
Judge McCreath said the opportunity to have close access to works of art was greatly valued by many people.
"Those who act as you did put that opportunity at risk," he told Haries at Southwark Crown Court.
After the sentence was handed down, supporters yelled out in court:
at the judge and
More on Tim Haries:
https://www.fathers-4-justice.org/category/tim-haries/
Tim Haries was found guilty in January of defacing the portrait with purple spray paint last June, while it was hanging in Westminster Abbey.
Crown court judge Alistair McCreath on Wednesday said Haries, 42, had made a "carefully considered decision" that he would gain publicity for himself and his cause by targeting the Diamond Jubilee portrait.
"You caused damage to the painting, disappointment to those who had come to see it, cost to the Abbey and their insurers in putting it right and almost certainly some degree of offence to many people who would regard an attack on a portrait of the monarch as unacceptable," the judge said in sentencing Haries to six months' imprisonment.
Haries immediately announced he was going on a hunger strike via a statement issued by the UK-based Fathers4Justice group.The electrician from South Yorkshire said the judge's decision to impose a custodial sentence rather than a community service order, as recommended by the probation service, "leaves me with no alternative than to enter an immediate hunger strike".
"This can only be a politically-motivated decision," Haries said.
"I therefore now regard myself as a political prisoner. My only crime is to fight to see my two daughters whom I love dearly."
The father-of-two has previously stated he scrawled the word "help" on Heimans' STG160,000 ($A293,900) portrait in mid-2013 to protest the "social catastrophe" of fathers being denied access to their children.
Judge McCreath on Wednesday accepted Haries thought the legal system had failed him and he felt "real anguish" at being separated from his daughters for four years.
"I do not, however, accept that the means you chose to adopt to make your protest were in any way justified," he said.
It cost STG9200 ($A16,900) to repair the portrait, which is now back on public display.
Judge McCreath didn't believe Haries' claim that he intended to do no more damage than could be easily repaired.
Left & above: Tim Haries"You intended to do as much damage as you could," the judge said, adding it was only the intervention of an Abbey steward that prevented further vandalism.
Sydney-born Heimans has previously said he was "extremely shocked" when he heard his portrait had been attacked, but was thankful Her Majesty's face was not defaced.
Judge McCreath said the opportunity to have close access to works of art was greatly valued by many people.
"Those who act as you did put that opportunity at risk," he told Haries at Southwark Crown Court.
After the sentence was handed down, supporters yelled out in court:
"Shame on you"
at the judge and
"My son is worth more than a painting".
More on Tim Haries:
https://www.fathers-4-justice.org/category/tim-haries/
Source: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/queen-portrait-vandal-on-hunger-strike/story-fn3dxix6-1226819112437
When a person (ie. judge) puts paintings and materialistic things over that of people, families, kids and humanity, this clearly highlights how out of touch with reality and the common people this ruling class and judge is. Hence why there is a huge crisis in austerity in the UK and around the globe.
And to the "...disappointment to those who had come to see it..". Real people aren't interested in a painting when compared with the destruction of a family. Oh my dear god.
And to the "...cost to the Abbey and their insurers in putting it right.." A measly $A16,900 to repair from an empire that deals in trillions. $17k is what they would make in a day from door entry fees, spend on a lunch date, night out or a pair of shoes without blinking. Spare us the BS judge McCreath. Where do these corrupt judges come from? Were they once honourable before being corrupted by debauchery, affluence and egocentric self-preservation?
"..and almost certainly some degree of offence to many people who would regard an attack on a portrait of the monarch as unacceptable..". Who the ruling class? Certainly not the common people who are barely able to put food in their mouths each day and keep a roof over their heads.
As for the artist who said he "...was thankful Her Majesty's face was not defaced." Well, what else could he say. He got paid for the job and is in the pocket and owned by the royals. He couldn't say what he really thought, now could he. Perhaps it was painful enough the first time he painted the face, and couldn't bare doing it again.
What's distinctly clear is how "things" trump "human lives and family" who are just sheep, cow fodder and nuisances in the eyes of the so called 'ruling class'. I am sure we disgust them and they will be happy to do with out many of us, just as soon as the robots are built to take the place of us as slaves to serve their needs, in perhaps a decade or two. Unless, we all start to WAKE-UP and effect change dismantling the huge disparity that grows wider on a daily basis, with better Social Investment Incentive Schemes where the people own the resources and not the 'filthy filthy' rich, things will only get worse - not better!
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