Tax rebel leader demands magistrates serve warrant to arrest Merseyside Chief Constable (From Wirral Globe)

Tax rebel leader demands magistrates serve warrant to arrest Merseyside Chief Constable

2:45pm Tuesday 8th March 2011 in News Exclusive By Stephanie Cureton

Roger Hayes

A WIRRAL man who led a tax rebel protest to “arrest” a judge attended a court hearing of his supporters today - and demanded a warrant be served to arrest Merseyside Chief Constable.

Roger Hayes, chairman of the British Constitution Group, applied at Wirral Magistrates' Court to have Jon Murphy arrested following Monday's demonstration.

Mr Hayes, of Wallasey, believes police should have actually helped members of the public arrest the judge.

Yesterday, his bankruptcy hearing for non-payment of council tax ended in uproar when his supporters - several hundred of whom had massed outside - stormed Birkenhead County Court and "arrested" Judge Michael Peake.

Protestors from the public gallery charged at Mr Peake to make a civil arrest chanting “arrest that judge”.

Police scrambled over court benches to control the near riot and one protester shouted “seal the court.”

Another sat in the judge’s chair and declared Mr Hayes be “released”.

Deafening cheers and chants could be heard from the crowd outside the courts and demonstrators used mobile phones to film arrests being made.

Today Mr Hayes told District Judge Lomax at magistrates' court: “In county court, we arrested Judge Peake for treason and contempt of court.

"I called upon the police and members of the public to help me in this but the police acted incorrectly and arrested lawful individuals.

“We now want the chief constable to appear in court to explain the actions of his officers. They acted unlawfully by rescuing the judge. The rescue and treason is a criminal offence.

“We expect the police to do their job properly and that is the responsibility of the chief constable.”

However, District Judge Lomax refused the application saying it was for “self-publicity” and that it was not coming before the court with “clean hands”.

Speaking outside the court, Mr Hayes told the Globe: “We will now take this application to a higher court and appeal the judge’s decision to not issue a warrant to the chief constable.

“A key point in all of this is that I am happy to pay council tax, provided it is lawful.

"The way council tax is being applied is unlawful. I have written to Wirral Council but they will not reply to my letters. We are calling for everyone, under common law, to stop paying their council tax until change comes.”

Also appearing before the Wirral bench following the protest was Jay Doyle, of Dacey Road from Anfield, who pleaded guilty to breach of peace.

Steven Aspinall, 43, from Burnley, and Malcolm Massey, 31, of no fixed address, both denied charges of violent disorder and will appear at Wirral Magistrates on May 3 for committal to crown court.

They were released on bail on the condition that they do not enter any court building in the UK unless there is a pre-arranged appointment to do so.

A fourth man, known to the court as ‘Detainee B’ because he refused to give personal details, was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment when he refused to accept a binding-over after being found guilty of breaching peace.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "Merseyside Police is aware of an application for a warrant heard at Birkenhead Magistrates court this morning (8 March)"