Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour’s son, Charlie, has been jailed today over his drug-fuelled actions at the student protests in London on 9 December 2010.
He pleaded guilty to charges of violent disorder. These instances included throwing a bin at the convoy of cars containing Prince Charles, defacing the Cenotaph and breaking the window of Topshop in Oxford Street where he stole the leg of one of the mannequins. Judge Nicholas Price QC said: “Such outrageous and deeply offensive behaviour gives a clear indication of how out of control you were that day. It caused public outrage and understandably so.”
Gilmour admitted, at Kingston Crown Court today, that he was drunk and had taken LSD and Valium before taking part in the protests and did not remember throwing the bin at the car. He even admitted not knowing what the Cenotaph was before hanging off the Union Jack flag flying from it.
The incident at the Cenotaph wasn’t included in the charges of violent disorder, but was noted as being disrespectful of the war dead. Judge Price QC said: “For a young man of your intelligence and education and background to profess to not know what the Cenotaph represents defies belief. You have shown disrespect to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, to those who fell defending this country.”
But Gilmour was given some credit for apologising for his actions.
“You expressed yourself in a fitting way when you said how deeply ashamed you are for what is, as you acknowledge, the terrible insult to those who gave their lives,” the judge said.
It is unclear whether Gilmour will be appealing against his conviction.
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