Jury discharged in trial of activist accused of Boris Johnson wedding protest in the Cotswolds
A jury failed to reach a verdict and prosecutors have until later this month to decide whether to seek a retrial
Last updated 14th Sep 2026
A jury has failed to reach a verdict in the trial of a pro-Palestine activist accused of plotting to disrupt former prime minister Boris Johnson’s wedding reception in the Cotswolds.
Tim Speers, 41, from Cornwall, was carrying spray paint and glue when he was accosted by police at the Cotswold estate of top Conservative Party donor Lord Anthony Bamford on July 29 2022.
The incident happened as staff were making the final preparations for the reception for Boris and Carrie Johnson’s wedding at Lord Bamford’s Daylesford Estate, which was due to happen the following day.
Speers had recorded a voicenote setting out how he planned to spray paint the word Palestine on the lawn at the country estate.
But he denied the charge of having items with intent to cause criminal damage, insisting that he had abandoned the protest idea by the time he was spoken to be police.
On Monday, jurors failed to reach a verdict in Speers’ case, leading Judge Usha Karu to discharge them from the case.
The jury had sent a series of notes saying they were “stuck” and divided in their deliberations.
The judge adjourned the case until a hearing on September 29, when prosecutors have been told to indicate whether they are seeking a retrial.
Speers has been free on bail during the criminal case.
A second defendant, Sean Middlebrough, did not turn up for the trial, having also been charged with the same offence.
He is due to stand trial separately on a date yet to be fixed.
Hear the latest news on Clyde 1 on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.