Committal for Contempt of Court in open court in London: McDonagh
Queen's Bench DivisionCommittal for Contempt of Court
Case number: QB-2020-004209
In the High Court of Justice
Queen’s Bench Division
30 November 2021
Before:
His Honour Judge Lewis
Sitting as a Judge of the High Court
On the 30 November 2021 this court committed JOHN McDONAGH to prison.
An injunction granted by Mr Justice Foxton on 8 December 2021 included the following terms:
“1. The defendants are required by 4pm on 14 December 2021 to remove from the land any static caravans, mobile home and touring caravans.
- The defendants be prohibited (whether by themselves, their servants or agents) from:
- Bringing a caravan, a mobile home, or any other structure intended for or capable of habitation onto the land.
- Erecting on the land any structure of building capable of or intended to be put to residential use.
- Carrying out any works including but not limited to the laying of hard standing on the land
- Allowing any persons to take up occupation of the land”
The court found on 12 November 2021 that John McDonagh had breached that order as follows:
- Between 11 May 2021 and 24 May 2021, in breach of paragraph 2(c) of the Injunction D9 caused or allowed: (i) further groundworks to be carried out to Plot 8; (ii) additional hardstanding was introduced; (iii) other materials previously on site were compressed.
- Between 24 May 2021 and 3 June 2021 in breach of paragraph 2(a) of the Injunction, D9 caused or allowed four touring caravans to be brought onto Plot 8, together with a trailer and a portable toilet block
- Between 24 May 2021 and 3 June 2021 in breach of paragraph 2(c) of the Injunction, D9 caused or allowed further groundworks to be carried out on Plot 8, namely additional hardcore and/or road scalpings were deposited and laid.
- As at 3 June 2021, in continuing breach of paragraph 1 or paragraph 2(a) of the Injunction, D9 failed to remove all caravans from Plot 8 and/or had caused or allowed further caravans to be brought on to Plot 8.
And imposed the following sentences for those breaches:
- Breach (a): 4 months
- Breach (b): 2 months, consecutive
- Breach (d): 1 month, concurrent to breach (b)
- Breach (c): 2 months, consecutive
- Total: 8 months
And in addition, the court activated the suspended sentence imposed by Mr Metzer QC (sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) on 12 February 2021 of six months.
Accordingly, it was ordered that John McDonagh be committed for contempt to Her Majesty’s Prison at Pentonville for a total period of fourteen months or until lawfully discharged if sooner, and that a warrant of committal be issued forthwith.