Judge reads doctor’s tale to lockdown protester
ABRISTOL judge read a junior doctor’s harrowing account of treating coronavirus patients to a man who protested lockdown.
Robin Campbell, who claims he used to work for GCHQ, was among 400 members of the Stand Up Bristol group who marched through the city centre on November 14 to oppose the second lockdown.
The 53-year-old, of Hill House Road in Downend, admitted being in a gathering of more than two people and received a £1,500 fine at Bristol Magistrates’ Court.
District Judge Lynne Matthews told him: “Let me just read you something which I read in my lunch break. It was in The Times.”
For around five minutes, the judge read the words of an anonymous doctor who has documented their nightmarish experience of working on a high dependency unit during the pandemic.
The judge read: “The patients don’t ask many questions, mostly because they need to spend all of their energy breathing.
“I try to work out if one of my patients isn’t answering my questions because she is delirious, because she doesn’t speak English, or because she is depressed.
“I work out that it is probably the latter; her notes say that her husband died just before new year, from Covid.”
She read on: “I almost never have good news to deliver. Hearing people cry on the other end of the phone, knowing that I am bringing them news of the worst day of their lives, is heartbreaking.”
The article went on: “The most distressing part of their struggle is the air hunger. You can spot these patients easily, as they grasp the masks to their faces with both hands and gasp visibly for air.”
Campbell, wearing a suit, had started rifling through his notes as District Judge Matthews spoke, leading her to pause and say: “When I’ve got your attention...”
When she finished reading, she asked Campbell if he was aware of this situation.
He replied: “Thanks for reminding me of that. I accept there are definitely some people suffering today during Covid.”
Campbell, who initially said he would be pleading not guilty, started to tell the judge about “the science” of coronavirus.
But she interjected: “I know about the science. What is it about your predicament on November 14 that meant it was proportionate for you to put others at risk?”
Campbell said he had disagreed with “the proportionality of a lockdown”.
The judge said: “This won’t be a trial about whether lockdown is right or wrong. The regulations are in place and I have to punish people who breach them.”
After Campbell agreed he was guilty of breaching the regulations, the planned trial was cancelled and a sentencing hearing was held.
The court heard Campbell was carrying a megaphone and had no face mask during the demon
stration.
After Campbell claimed in court that “flu admissions are almost down to zero”, Judge Matthews said: “Have you listened to the medics saying hospitals are full in London? That they are being sent to Bristol as they don’t have beds for them there?”
Judge Matthews said: “You have sincerely and genuinely held beliefs, but as an educated and intelligent man you knew the regulations, went to protest in breach of those and put others at risk, putting the NHS at a potential disadvantage.
“There would have been more pressure on the NHS and good
ness knows they’re under enough pressure at the moment.”
She ordered Campbell to pay a £1,500 fine, with £85 prosecution costs and a £150 victim surcharge within 28 days.
Outside court, Campbell said he changed his mind about his plea because he “couldn’t be bothered with the hassle” of a trial.
In April, it was reported that Campbell had been frequently posting Youtube videos falsely linking 5G to coronavirus symptoms. The Post contacted Youtube and following a report, Campbell’s channel disappeared from the platform.