Trenton Oldfield leaves Feltham Magistrates Court in west London on April 23, 2012 after he appeared on charges after he allegedly disrupted the Oxford-Cambridge University Boat Race by swimming across the Thames. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
AUSTRALIAN elitism protester Trenton Oldfield poses a substantial threat to the London Olympics and events involving members of the royal family, a court has been told.
The 36-year-old former Sydneysider is charged with a public nuisance offence after swimming among competitors at the April 7 River Thames Boat Race, a traditional rowing event between Oxford and Cambridge.
Although admitting his actions, Oldfield pleaded not guilty to the criminal charge - and will contest that he posed a public nuisance - at a London court today where his barrister Benjamin Newton challenged bail restrictions proposed by police.
"(There are) substantial grounds to believe that Mr Oldfield will target those events and specifically the Olympics, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and Trooping of the Colour, Royal Ascot and the Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace," prosecutor Simon Ray told the court.
But Newton said his client would be "mad" to get involved in further disruptive behaviour in the lead up to his September 24 trial for public nuisance.
"Whatever a court or a jury may make of his actions on June 7 this year, he has lived of good character for 35 years prior to that," Mr Newton said of his client who grew up in Sydney and moved to the UK some 16 years ago to attend the London School of Economics.
"He has no intention of engaging in any civil disturbances in or around the Olympics ... in fact he says to me that not only he, but anybody else would be mad to engage in attempting to disrupt the Olympics because of the high levels of security."
Judge Anna Guggenheim imposed bail conditions that prevent Oldfield from going within 100m of the River Thames during the Queen's diamond jubilee pageant, any road used by the Olympic torch relay and any Games venue during the Olympics.
Oldfield is also banned from being in London on key dates during the diamond jubilee celebrations.
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