by Bethany Rielly

ONE of the four protesters on trial over the toppling of the Bristol statue of slaver Edward Colston told the court today that the removal of the statue was the right thing to do.

Rhian Graham, 30, Milo Ponsford, 26, Jake Skuse, 33, and Sage Willoughby, 22, — dubbed the Colston four — are on trial at Bristol Crown Court after pleading not guilty to criminal damage. 

Mr Willoughby told the court that requests to remove the statue had been refused for 20 years and he believed the removal of the figure was the right thing to do. 

The trial comes more than a year and a half after the bronze memorial to the 17th-century slave merchant was pulled from its plinth and rolled into the harbour by Black Lives Matter protesters on June 7 2020. 

Protesters gathered outside the court today morning to support the four on the first day of the court case, which is expected to continue into next week. 

The court heard that Mr Ponsford, Mr Willoughby and Ms Graham helped topple the statue and Mr Skuse rolled it, causing an estimated £3,750 worth of damage. 

Acting for the prosecution, William Hughes QC said: “We accept that Edward Colston was a divisive figure, however we say what Edward Colston may or may not have done, good or bad, are not on trial and are not an issue for you: these four defendants are.”

CCTV footage shown in court of the statue being pulled down was met with cheers from the public gallery.  

The court will start hearing evidence from Tuesday.