Thatcher statue beheaded in 'global capitalism protest'

A theatre producer was accused yesterday of decapitating a £150,000 statue of Baroness Thatcher at a London art gallery in a protest against global capitalism.

Paul Leslie Stephen Kelleher, 37, was charged with criminal damage after the head became detached from the 8ft, white marble statue at the Guildhall Art Gallery on Wednesday afternoon.

Appearing at City of London magistrates' court, Mr Kelleher asked for reporting restrictions to be lifted. The court was told he had decapitated the statue by attacking it with a cricket bat and a metal pole, which had been supporting a nearby rope cordon.

When invited to enter a plea, Mr Kelleher, from Isleworth, west London, who was representing himself, said: "I'm unable to enter a plea of guilty due to the fact it [the charge] is criminal damage. I'm not a criminal so I will have to enter a plea of not guilty."

John Gilbert, for the prosecution, said that neither the cost nor possibility of repair were yet known. He said: "This was a deliberate act of criminal damage. Mr Kelleher said it was in order to make a political point ... He told the police his intention was for two purposes – one, to test security, two, to damage the statue."

Mr Gilbert said Mr Kelleher had violated the statue to make sure he had his day in court "to highlight his concerns about the future of the world and the future of his two-year-old son. People like Baroness Thatcher were the cause of capitalism and global problems, which meant the world was in danger of suffering irreparable damage," Mr Gilbert said. "He said he would continue to stage such acts until this was remedied, a clear indication that his behaviour will continue."

Mr Kelleher assured the court he would not repeat the action. He said: "The objective of the exercise yesterday was to remove the head of the statue for some of the reasons the prosecution have said. There is absolutely no chance of my reoffending. I realise the press publicity is far greater than I thought it would be.

"It does seem a little bit like hounding me. I haven't really hurt anybody, it's just a statue, an idol we seem to be worshipping to a greater extent."

Mr Kelleher was given unconditional bail and was told to return to court on 24 July. The sculpture has been withdrawn.

The statue's sculptor, Neil Simmons, 44, said he was "deeply saddened" by the damage. He spent two years searching for the right-sized piece of marble for the 1.8-ton creation. It was completed over eight months and involved several sittings with the baroness.

Lady Thatcher, who unveiled the statue in May last year, described the incident as an act of sabotage. She said: "I thought it was appalling, but there you are. It's what vandals do. Politics is about persuading people through reason, not by acts of sabotage like that."

The former Tory leader William Hague said: "I think it's a disgrace. I hope it can be put back together or a new one made. It turned out not to be as resilient as the real thing."