Activist Pleads Guilty to Damaging Stone of Destiny Display Case

An individual involved in a protest has confessed to causing damage to the display case housing the Stone of Destiny at Edinburgh Castle. Joe Madden entered a guilty plea for harming the cabinet located in the crown jewels room, using a rock, hammer, chisel, and various other tools on November 15 of the previous year. The environmental activist organization “This is Rigged” took credit for the event, which involved three individuals participating in a demonstration advocating for supermarkets to lower baby milk prices and for the Scottish government to allocate funds for food hubs. Madden, aged 22, acknowledged his role in damaging the cabinet alongside two other individuals at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. However, a plea of not guilty to an additional charge of breaching the peace on the same date was accepted by the prosecution. In a distinct hearing held earlier this month at the same court, two additional activists received sentences of unpaid labor. Jamie Priest, 26, and Catriona Roberts, 22, similarly confessed to maliciously inflicting damage. Priest was ordered to complete 120 hours of work, whereas Roberts was assigned 180 hours. The court was informed that on the day the incident occurred, a tour guide was leading a group of approximately 10 individuals through the crown jewels room when a shout was heard: “This is a peaceful protest”. Immediately thereafter, the guide turned to observe Madden positioned before the cabinet, holding “various items”. The guide activated her panic button, thereby stopping additional groups from entering the area. She stated that she witnessed Madden holding a brick or stone and trying to shatter the cabinet, which additionally housed the Scottish crown. The guide further testified to the court that she subsequently observed black spray paint being applied to the cabinet. Law enforcement officers were subsequently summoned to the castle. The estimated cost of the damage, as presented to the court, was approximately £2,798. Sheriff Kenneth Campbell postponed the proceedings until the following month, pending the receipt of background reports. Madden is scheduled to reappear in court for his sentencing on January 23. The Stone of Destiny, alternatively referred to as the Stone of Scone, served as the ceremonial inauguration seat for Scottish monarchs over several centuries before its seizure by King Edward I of England and removal to London in 1296. It stayed in London until 1950, at which point a group of students transported it back to Scotland, only for it to be subsequently sent back to London. The Stone was officially repatriated to Scotland in 1996 and resided in Edinburgh Castle until March of the current year. Currently, it is positioned as the focal point of a new £27 million museum project in Perth. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external links is available.