An 18-year-old accused of pushing a statue of slave trader Edward Colston into Bristol Harbour is set to escape with a police caution – if he attends a meeting on other monuments, his lawyer has revealed.
The bronze memorial to the 17th Century slave merchant was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7 and later dumped in the harbour.
The teenager was interviewed under caution after going to a police station voluntarily following the toppling, which sparked a wave of attacks on other statues.
But on Thursday his solicitor Mark Robinson claimed the young man has been offered a police caution if he donates to an anti-slavery charity and goes to a meeting to ‘discuss the future of all statues’ in Bristol.
An 18-year-old accused of pushing a statue of slave trader Edward Colston into Bristol Harbour is set to escape with a police caution – if he attends a meeting on other monuments, his lawyer has revealed
Writing on LinkedIn, Mr Robinson posted: ‘Thank you to all you guys who shared the advice about legal assistance from solicitors and barristers for those that attended the protests.
‘As a direct result of this I successfully secured an out of court disposal yesterday for a client interviewed under caution who was caught on CCTV pushing the Edward Colston statue into Bristol harbour.’
He added the conditions of the caution are that that he attends a meeting on the future of statues and makes a donation to an anti-slavery charity.
However, Bristol City Council said they have not been asked to hold any meeting.
A spokeswoman said: ‘We have not been asked to host a meeting of this sort.’
Last month, Avon and Somerset Police released the CCTV images of 15 people suspected of vandalising the Colston statue.
The 18-year-old was not one of those featured.
Mr Robinson and Avon and Somerset Police have been approached for comment.
The news comes a day after a 24-year-old man was arrested in connection with the toppling of the statue.
The bronze memorial to the 17th Century slave merchant was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7 and later dumped in the harbour
The force said on Monday the 24-year-old had been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and has since been released under investigation.
The statue had been in the city centre since 1895.
After it was toppled, it was thrown in the water near Pero’s Bridge – named in honour of an enslaved man.
The council has since retrieved the statue, which will now be displayed in a museum along with placards from the Black Lives Matter protest.
Detective Superintendent Liz Hughes said in an appeal on June 22: ‘The incident attracted worldwide attention and there’s no denying it has polarised public opinion – but in the eyes of the law a crime has been committed and we’re duty-bound to investigate this without fear or favour.
‘I’d like to reassure people we’re carrying out a thorough, fair and proportionate investigation and have sought early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.’
The investigation is still ongoing, Avon and Somerset Police said.
The toppling of the statue provoked fierce debate amid dozens of Black Lives Matter protests around the country following the death of black man George Floyd in the US.
The teenager was interviewed under caution after going to a police station voluntarily after the toppling, which sparked a wave of attacks on other statues
But on Thursday his solicitor Mark Robinson claimed the young man has been offered a police caution if he donates to an anti-slavery charity and goes to a meeting to ‘discuss the future of all statues’ in Bristol
Councils across the country reviewed the status of numerous statues commemorating controversial figures, including other slave traders.
Two days after the Colston statue fell, a monument to slaveholder Robert Milligan was removed from the London Docklands.
Liverpool University then announced it will rename a hall of residence dedicated to 19th century Prime Minister William Gladstone, whose father was one of the biggest slaveholders in the West Indies.
Oriel College at Oxford University also voted to remove a statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes.
The Grade II listed sculpture of Colston had been the subject of intense criticism due to his role in the Atlantic slave trade.
It is believed the merchant made some of his fortune by buying and selling slaves.
The toppling of the statue was condemned by major political figures, with Home Secretary Priti Patel describing the vandalism as ‘utterly disgraceful’ and ‘completely unacceptable’.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson branded the incident as a ‘criminal act’ and called for police to take action against the protestors involved, while Sir Keir Starmer described the manner in which the statue was toppled was ‘completely wrong’.
However, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees argued: ‘I am of Jamaican heritage and I cannot pretend … it was anything other than a personal affront to me to have it in the middle of Bristol.’
In response to the targeting of statues, ministers were believed to be considering sentences of up to 10 years for the worst offenders.