Gurney, Christabel

Christabel Gurney was convicted in June 1972 of obstructing police and obstructing the highway. Ms Gurney received a £2 fine, a conditional discharge, and was ordered to pay an unknown amount in costs.

Ms Gurney’s case was referred to the CCRC by the Undercover Police Inquiry (UCPI) in August 2021.

On 12 May 1972, a group of anti-apartheid protesters from the Putney Young Liberals took part in a demonstration aimed at disrupting the departure of the England rugby union team from the Star and Garter Hotel in Richmond.

The rugby team was due to tour South Africa, which was then under the apartheid regime. The protesters assembled and sat down in the path of the coach, and a total of 14 people were arrested and charged. 13 were later convicted following trials at Mortlake Magistrates’ Court in June and July 1972.

However, unknown to the trial or to fellow defendants was that one of the group was an undercover police officer from the Metropolitan Police’s Special Demonstration Squad (“SDS”). The officer had protested alongside the group, was arrested at the scene, and convicted alongside them under his assumed name.

Contrary to guidance in force at the time, the SDS had failed to reveal the presence of the undercover officer to the investigating officers, the prosecutor, and the court.

The undercover officer was also party to discussions about defence tactics and legal advice that had been provided to the other defendants. He reported this information back to his superiors, therefore breaching the confidentiality between his co-defendants and their lawyers.

In light of these revelations, the CCRC decided that there was a real possibility that the convictions would be quashed as an abuse of process.

The CCRC referred the conviction in November 2022.

The Crown Court quashed the conviction in January 2023.