Coventry protester dad comes down from ring road bridge

A protester dad who spent nearly two hours dangling from a city centre bridge has come down.



The man - who was clutching a t-shirt saying “this is what an awesome dad looks like” - started sitting on the Canal Basin bridge over the ring road at around 3pm.

The ring road was shut between J1 and 9 in both directions causing huge delays across the city.

Police negotiators spent well over an hour trying to talk the man down before he left the bridge at 4.45pm.

A 44-year-old man from Coventry was arrested for public nuisance and is helping police with enquires.

Allesley Old Road was still jammed this evening for whatever reason? Holyhead Road was clear by comparison.

Bridge protester who brought Coventry to a standstill charged

A protester who spent two hours sat on a bridge over Coventry ring road has been charged with a public nuisance offence.

Jason Gamble, aged 44, straddled the handrail of the Canal Basin bridge at around 3pm yesterday brandishing a T-shirt with the logo “this is what an awesome dad looks like” on it.

The ring road had to be shut by police in both directions between junction nine and junction one, causing long delays across Coventry city centre as the protest continued.

Gamble, of Plants Hill Crescent, Tile Hill, spoke to two police negotiators before eventually leaving the bridge at 4.45pm.

He was arrested and questioned by police before being charged last night.

Police have since released him on bail and he will now appear at Coventry Magistrates Court on December 31.

Speaking to the Telegraph this morning, Gamble said he never had any intention to jump and only launched the protest as a last resort following a dispute with police over access to his children.

He said the dispute meant it was now extremely unlikely that he would be able to see his children before Christmas.

Custody issues also prevent him from going back to his home.

Coventry Ring Road bridge protester says: "I'm sorry"


Jason Gamble, 44, and his wife Gemma, 33

A protester who brought Coventry to a standstill just a week before Christmas has issued a heartfelt apology – after appearing in court to be sentenced for a public nuisance offence.

He said that previous allegations brought against him at court – which were later discontinued – had seen him banned from living at his family home with his wife Gemma and that his protest was a “last resort”.

He pleaded guilty to a causing a public nuisance and was handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, with an added 12-month supervision order at Coventry Magistrates Court yesterday.

Speaking to the Telegraph outside the court, Gamble, who is currently staying in a Salvation Army hostel in Coventry, said: “I hit rock bottom with everything that happened and my body and head could not take any more.

“I tried to sort the situation out with the police, but they weren’t listening to me after having had that over my head for so long.

“I do want to say sorry for any inconvenience I caused though as I had tried everything – this was the last resort. I did not intend to cause any problems at all.”

His wife Gemma, 33, who he tied the knot with just over a year ago, added: “It is desperation when you feel no-one is listening to you.”

Stefan Hunka, who was defending Gamble, said: “Mr Gamble had a troubled childhood and as he became an adult matters became difficult for him to deal with in general.

“He had a marriage that ended and then in 2011 he lost his father – the one person in his life he had high respect for.

“He has since met his new wife, but there was a court case which saw the decision made that he should no longer remain in the family home, despite his wishes and those of his wife.

“The matters in that case were discontinued and in the month leading up to this incident he was annoyed by the lack of movement by the police and social services.

“On December 17 he spoke to police in Coventry and left there more frustrated with the situation, before going home, getting the T-shirt and then wanting to draw attention to himself.

“At no point, though, did he say he would jump.”

Gamble was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £80 victim surcharge.

The couple are now continuing their fight to get the order overturned so Gamble can move back to the family home.

Man who brought Coventry to a standstill with ring road bridge protest is jailed

A protester who caused chaos when he sat on a ring road bridge for several hours has had his suspended prison sentence activated because he vandalised a police car.

Jason Gamble, aged 44, of Harnall Lane West, Foleshill, was originally handed at 12 week suspended sentence for the protest in December.

On February 3 he caused £200 of damage to a police car’s wing mirror - and magistrates decided to activate the previous suspended sentence and give him an extra one week for the vandalism, which Gamble admitted.

Gamble had issued an apology after he straddled the handrail of the Canal Basin bridge over the city’s busy ring road as he continued a battle to be able to see his children.

Nearly 50 police officers were called in after the ring road was closed causing “utter chaos” on the streets across Coventry on the afternoon of December 17 last year.

He's been charged with another offence since then: Charge over Coventry police car brick attack