The son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour was jailed for 16 months today for going on a rampage during a student fees protest in London after earlier taking drugs.
Charlie Gilmour (21) had admitted violent disorder. A court heard he had shouted "we're going to break all the laws" during last December's protest.
He was seen hanging from a Union Jack flag on the Cenotaph war memorial and leaping on to the bonnet of a Jaguar car which was travelling in a convoy carrying Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.
His defence team had disputed an allegation that he also threw a rubbish bin at the car, but the Press Association reported that Judge Nicholas Price told Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court in southwest London he was satisfied Gilmour had in fact thrown the bin.
Gilmour was also accused of attacking the front window of a clothing store in Oxford Street and making off with the leg of a mannequin.
The court had heard the Cambridge University student had turned to drink and drugs after being rejected by his biological father, writer Heathcote Williams, and had taken LSD and valium in the hours leading up to the violence.
Passing sentence, Judge Price accepted that his antics at the Cenotaph on Whitehall did not form part of the violent disorder, but he accused Gilmour of disrespect to the war dead.
"Such outrageous and deeply offensive behaviour gives a clear indication of how out of control you were that day," he said.
"It caused public outrage and understandably so." His conduct at the war memorial had prompted a deluge of "vituperative and in many cases obscene" emails and other forms of communication, he told Gilmour.
These were, he added "not just to you but, it is with deep regret, to your whole family, who were of course totally blameless".
Gilmour, who apologised afterwards for his behaviour, had claimed he had not realised the significance of the Cenotaph - an excuse the judge rejected.
"For a young man of your intelligence and education and background to profess to not know what the Cenotaph represents defies belief," he said. "You have shown disrespect to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, to those who fell defending this country."
Reuters