I’ll just bet Briggs is a vegetarian too…
Christiaan Briggs
[quote]
NZer jailed for attacking British rock singer
9.25am Tuesday October 24, 2006
A New Zealand peace activist has been jailed in Britain for eight months for attacking a rock singer leaving him in a coma.
Christiaan Briggs, who acted as a human shield in Iraq, admitted punching 19-year-old singer Billy Leeson following an argument on a late night bus.
Mr Leeson, lead singer of rock band Les Incompetents, who have supported Pete Doherty’s group Babyshambles, fell into a coma when he hit his head on the pavement in Camden, north London.
Briggs spent three weeks in Iraq with the Truth Justice Peace Human Shield Action Group in 2003 and was a former British Green Party candidate.
According to court testimony, Leeson had been on a bus coming back from a sell-out London gig when his girlfriend complained that Briggs was staring at her.
Leeson told Briggs to “look elsewhere” and, after they exchanged words, got off the bus in Camden.
Briggs followed and as Leeson walked off, punched him on his left cheek.
According to the BBC website, Briggs’ defence counsel Bartholomew Cosella said Briggs was a “committed pacifist” who had devoted himself to “trying to make the world a better place”.[/quote]
nzherald.co.nz/section/story … D=10407299
nme.com/news/les-incompetents/24837
last-straw.net/
flickr.com/photos/christiaanbriggs/
[quote]Mr Leeson crashed to the pavement “with a really loud crack” and was in a coma by the time a London Ambulance arrived.
He was resuscitated at the Royal Free Hospital and had to undergo three brain operations and a tracheotomy.
He developed an infection, had to have 100 stitches in his head, and is now walking with splints in his shoes as a result of the brain damage.
In his statement, the musician added: "I’m in a lot of pain physically and frustrated about my career in music. The band have had to abandon plans for the future.
“This attack has devastated my life physically and mentally and it will take a long time to recover from this.”[/quote]