THE wife of a Lancaster man jailed for editing a revolutionary magazine which urged its readers to "smash the state" has spoken to the Citizen of her distress. Janie Booth says she cannot believe that her husband Stephen has been given a three-year prison sentence for writing about his radical beliefs. Mr Booth, 38, of Galgate, has been found guilty of conspiracy to incite others to commit criminal damage at the end of an 11-week trial in Portsmouth.

Judge David Selwood branded Booth a 'terrorist' after hearing that his magazine Green Anarchist featured sabotage tips to halt road building projects.

But friends and local supporters of the former RAF engineer and Lancaster University graduate claim he supports non-violence and freedom of speech.

"We're both missing him terribly," said Mrs Booth, who is hoping to take their son, James, to visit him as soon as possible.

"What's happened is disgusting. It was definitely a showcase trial. Stephen's called from prison and he's concerned about the implications the case has for free speech. He was expecting to be jailed but three years is very harsh." The prison sentences were the culmination of a three-year investigation by Hampshire Police, which cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. The controversial case has attracted criticism from civil rights groups and the Director of Liberty, John Wadham, has called for the conspiracy law to be reformed.

"Stephen is spending his time reading and writing letters. He's given me a long list of people to get in touch with and James is writing a letter to the local MP," added Mrs Booth.

"We want to visit him as soon as we can but they are thinking of taking him to Weymouth Prison in Dorset. We're asking for him to be moved closer to home and the case is going to appeal. All Stephen has done is stand up for what he thinks is right."

Green Anarchist was widely read by anti-road protesters and subversive groups. The prosecution claim it incited others to commit criminal damage but defendants claimed they reflected views of people who believed in taking radical action to defend the environment.

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