Four of the Coventry Seven -Fell, Stagg. Lynch and Rush have been found guilty and senfenced to terms of up to twelve years, The judge set the political context of the case in his summing up, when he said that the trial was about Taw and order; the sentences he imposed were a 'deterrent." Although the British ruling class is not yet prepared to make a full scale legal attack on the Irish movement in Britain, such as imposing a ban on Sinn Fein, they intend to hand out vicious sentences to any Republicans convicted on conspiracy and other changes.
It is unfortunate therefore that the delendants failed to respond to the political nature of the trial or understand the nature of British justice. Their line of defence, in fact, gave the British press a field day. Rather than trying to win sympathy the judge by denying their political beliefs, they should have Red Weekly 9 November 1973 Page B explained that they were in dock as a result of the failure of the British government to find алу solution to the struggle in the North, and its determination to break the Republican Movement by any means necessary. This was the basis on which they could have transformed the nature of the trial.
Meanwhile, in Northampton the case of Joe Gallagher came up last week. Joe was charged with demanding money with menaces, but the prosecution offered no evidence and admitted their inability to link him with the alleged offence.
The case was sheer intimidation, and an attempt to damage and discredit Republican activity in the area. It the Northampton Defence Commitee had not kept up regular pickets and publicity the case, the police would probably have attempted to get a conviction despite the lack of evidence,
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