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 BRIDGET 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.

  1. 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 Bridget McDonagh had breached that order as follows:

  • Between 19 April 2021 and 11 May 2021 in breach of paragraph 2(a) of the Injunction, D8 caused or allowed a touring caravan to be brought onto Plot 7;
  • Between 19 April 2021 and 11 May 2021 in breach of paragraph 2(c) of the Injunction D8 caused or allowed: (i) a portable toilet block to be brought onto Plot 7; (ii) an awning was installed onto one of the touring caravans; (iii) additional metal fencing was installed to enclose a section of the plot.
  • Between 11 May 2021 and 24 May 2021 in breach of paragraph 2(a) of the Injunction, D8 caused or allowed a touring caravan to be brought onto Plot 7
  • Between 11 May 2021 and 24 May 2021 in breach of paragraph 2(c) of the Injunction, D8 caused or allowed further hardcore and/or road scalpings to be deposited on Plot 7.

And imposed the following sentences for those breaches:

  • Breach (a): 1 month
  • Breach (c): 1 month, concurrent to breach (a)
  • Breach (b): 4 months, consecutive
  • Breach (d): 1 month, consecutive
  • Total: 6 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 five months.

Accordingly, it was ordered that Bridget McDonagh be committed for contempt to Her Majesty’s Prison at Bronzefield for a total period of eleven months or until lawfully discharged if sooner, and that a warrant of committal be issued forthwith.