77-year-old farmer fined £20,000 after pleading guilty to damaging World War 2 monument

A 77-year-old farmer has been fined £20,000 at Derry Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to damaging a World War 2 monument that was described in court as 'irreplaceable and priceless'.

James Thompson of Coney Road in Derry admitted the charge which occurred between February 19, 2019 and October 19, 2022.

The monument was described as a WW2 heavy anti aircraft battery. 

Defence counsel Stephen Chapman told the court that his client had removed what was described as 'a radar mat' of some 4 acres of overgrown concrete but that he was unaware 'what he had removed had damaged the monument.' 

At the outset of his sentencing remarks Judge Neil Rafferty KC said that a custodial sentence was not applicable and he would deal with it by way of a monetary penalty. 

He said that the monument was an anti-aircraft battery adjacent to a radar installation and was 'unique' as it was the only radar mat still in existence. 

The judge said that the monument was listed in 2005 and Thompson had been farming the land since 1993 and would have been aware of the listing. 

Judge Rafferty said that it was unlikely that tourists would have been flying in to view this monument but it was 'priceless' to archaeologists and members of historical societies looking at how things were put together in the 1940's.

He asked 'Was this vandalism? No it wasn't' but added that there was a need for deterrence. 

The court heard that Thompson would have gained the use of four acres of land valued at £8,000 an acre. 

The judge said that Thompson was 'mortified' to be sitting in the dock of a criminal Crown Court but he was only a 'custodian of the land' for future generations and losing this monument 'makes us all the poorer'. 

He said the courts had to make clear that 'those who do this sort of thing will not benefit'. 

He fined Thompson £20,000.