Sheffield City Council v Crump & Ors [2018] EWHC 1411 (QB) (07 June 2018)

Sheffield City Council v Crump & Ors [2018] EWHC 1411 (QB) (07 June 2018)

The defendants' actions in entering, remaining in, or preventing the erection of safety zones around trees to be felled, as defined by the injunction and undertakings, constituted deliberate breaches of court orders and amounted to contempt of court. The orders were clear, the safety zones were lawfully constituted, and the defendants acted intentionally in contravention of the orders.

Citation
[2018] EWHC 1411 (QB)
Parties
Claimant: Sheffield City Council; Defendant: Simon Crump; Defendant: Fran Grace; Defendant: Benoit Compin; Defendant: Paul Brooke
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
07 June 2018
Procedural Posture
Contempt of Court Application (civil) / Judgment on Application for Committal
Outcome
Application for committal succeeded against Simon Crump, Fran Grace, and Benoit Compin; judgment reserved for Paul Brooke.
Legal Topics
Contempt of Court, Injunctions, Breach of Undertaking, Tree Felling Protests, Enforcement of Court Orders
Civil Procedure Local Government Law Public Law Contempt of Court Injunctions Breach of Undertaking Tree Felling Protests Enforcement of Court Orders

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Parties

Sheffield City Council

Claimant

Simon Crump

Defendant

Fran Grace

Defendant

Benoit Compin

Defendant

Paul Brooke

Defendant

Procedural Posture

Contempt of Court Application (civil) / Judgment on Application for Committal

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the defendants breached undertakings or injunctions relating to safety zones around trees to be felled
  2. 2 Whether the conduct of the defendants constituted contempt of court

Ratio Decidendi

The defendants' actions in entering, remaining in, or preventing the erection of safety zones around trees to be felled, as defined by the injunction and undertakings, constituted deliberate breaches of court orders and amounted to contempt of court. The orders were clear, the safety zones were lawfully constituted, and the defendants acted intentionally in contravention of the orders.

Court Disposition

Application for committal succeeded against Simon Crump, Fran Grace, and Benoit Compin; judgment reserved for Paul Brooke.

Orders

  • Simon Crump: two months imprisonment, suspended for one year.
  • Fran Grace: finding of contempt, no further sanction imposed.