Sheriff admonishes naked rambler

Naked rambler Stephen Gough was admonished by a sheriff for breaching bail conditions by failing to wear clothes as he left prison.

But his pleas of not guilty to two charges of breach of the peace on separate occasions last year were accepted by the Crown at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Former Royal Marine Gough, 46, still faces sentencing on contempt of court charges for refusing to wear clothes for court appearances in December.

The charges against Gough, of Chamberlayne Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire, arose as he was carrying out his second marathon walk the length of Britain last year.

The hearing was carried out in Gough's absence after he refused to put on clothes for the occasion. He has consistently defended what he claims is his right to appear naked in public.

Gough was jailed for two weeks in September last year for committing a breach of the peace by walking naked on the A701, near Bilston, Midlothian, earlier that month. But he was arrested moments after leaving Edinburgh's Saughton Prison on September 15 for refusing to cover up. He was bailed on September 16 at the city's Sheriff Court and continued his naked walk north.

But Gough was later jailed for two months at Dingwall Sheriff Court for breach of bail conditions and he was sent back to Saughton to serve his sentence. Once again, as he left jail on November 3, naked Gough was arrested for refusing to cover himself up.

Gough faced two separate charges of committing a breach of the peace on September 15 and November 3 by refusing to wear clothes in the public car park at Saughton Prison. His not guilty pleas were accepted by the court.

Gough's lawyer John Good told the court his client admitted breaching bail conditions imposed on September 16 by appearing naked in Saughton car park on November 3. Sheriff John Horsburgh ruled that Gough should be admonished in respect of that charge.

Gough was granted bail until his case is called again at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on March 1. He is expected to face sentencing after two sheriffs ruled on separate days last month that he was in contempt of court by refusing to dress for court appearances.

© Copyright Press Association Ltd 2006, All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://news.scotsman.com/latest_scotland.cfm?id=39362006

Page Last Updated: 4 March, 2010

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