SWBRcolston - by Tom Bevan<br /><br />A group known as the 'Colston 4' have gone on trial charged with pulling down a slave trader's statue during a city centre protest. <br /><br />Rhian Graham, 30, Milo Ponsford, 26, Jake Skuse, 33, and Sage Willoughby, 22, were greeted by a dozens of supporters waving banners as they arrived for the start of their eight-day trial today.<br /><br />The four have all been charged with causing criminal damage in connection with the toppling of Edward Colston statue in Bristol city centre during large scale protests last year. <br /><br />They have all denied the charges and were pictured entering Bristol Crown Court this morning.<br /><br />Among the signs being held aloft outside the court were messages including "we're glad not to see Colston on a pedestal anymore" and "solidarity with the Colston statue topplers."<br /><br />Their trial is being heard by The Recorder of Bristol His Honour Judge Peter Blair QC. <br /><br />Prosecutor William Hughes QC will open his case after a jury has been sworn in.<br /><br />The charge facing Graham, of Bristol, Ponsford, of Bishopstoke, Hampshire, Skuse, 36, of Little Stoke, South Gloucestershire; and Willoughby, of Gloucester Road in Bristol, is that on June 7 last year in Bristol they "jointly with each other and others unknown and without lawful excuse" damaged property, namely the statue of Edward Colston and a plinth of a value unknown belonging to Bristol City Council. <br /><br />The charge accuses them of "intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged."<br /><br />The toppling made headlines around the world and took place during a Black Lives Matter rally in Bristol city centre following the murder in the US of George Floyd.<br /><br />It was pulled down during a march and then dragged to a harbour and pushed into the water. <br /><br />It was later recovered by Bristol City Council and has been put on display at a museum.<br /><br />ENDS
