Woman (53) from Black Isle faces charge over alleged Cromarty Firth rig protest
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A third Greenpeace protester appeared in a Highland court today charged with disorderly conduct by scaling a rig in the Cromarty Firth.
Joanne Paterson, a 53 year old woman of Munlochy, who had been taken into custody on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to a charge that between June 9 and she acted with Paul Morozzo, Christopher Till, Paula Radley and others and conducted herself in a disorderly manner.
The charge goes on to allege that they boarded an oil platform without permission or lawful authority, refused to leave, attached themselves to the platform by tethers, placed themselves and others in danger and prevented people going about their business and committed a breach of the peace.
She confirmed a plea of not guilty and trial was fixed for August 28.
An intermediate diet to establish the prosecution and defence preparation for that trial will be held on July 29.
Those dates coincide with dates fixed at Tain Sheriff Court on Wednesday, for 37-year-old Christopher James Till, of Browns Road, London and 31-year-old Paula Radley, of Bull Stag Green, Hartfield.
They also pleaded not guilty.
Paterson was released on bail by Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood with a special condition not to travel beyond a line north of Foulis Ferry and Eathie unless for a court appearance. This effectively keeps her away from the Cromarty Firth.
Hill and Radley were also released on bail with special conditions not to enter or attempt to enter the waters of the Cromarty Firth.
They were also ordered to leave Scotland within 12 hours of their release on bail and not to re-enter Scotland except for pre-arranged appointments with their legal representative and court hearings.
However their bail allowed them to have already arranged holidays but nowhere near the Cromarty Firth.
Greenpeace confirmed it has been served an interdict in an attempt to bring to an end its protest on the oil rig, operated by Transocean which had been due to sail to a BP North Sea oil field on Sunday.
