Officers thank the public for support during investigation into A12 disruption

Officers have thanked dozens of members of the public who supported with an investigation, after a man has been sentenced for causing over five hours of disruption on the A12.

Simon Graham, 55 of Hunting Gate, Colchester appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday, 30 April, where he was sentenced after pleading guilty to intentionally/recklessly causing a public nuisance and having an article with a blade or point.

Officers were called to the A12, close to Junction 26 at around 11:15am on Tuesday, 10 October 2023 following the concern for safety of a man on a bridge. 

Graham had climbed onto the wrong side of the barrier and claimed that this was in an act of protest. 

Our officers supported Essex Fire and Rescue service, Highways England and the ambulance service to attempt to bring the man to safety. The A12 had to be partially closed, causing huge disruption for road users.

Graham sent multiple messages to friends whilst on the bridge including one which said “how bad is the traffic in town bud? Sorry for any loss of £££ you may be experiencing because of me.” 

Following work from trained negotiators who attended the scene, Graham climbed over the right side of the barrier and the traffic could be relieved shortly before 5pm. 

After a medical assessment, Graham was arrested on suspicion of intentionally/recklessly causing a public nuisance and having an article with a blade or a point and charged the following day.

Following his charges, the investigation team worked to build a case to present to the court.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Hannah Richardson said “Simon Graham’s actions had a detrimental effect on one of Essex’s busiest roads.

“A huge part of the case building was to understand the impact that Graham’s offences had on the public.

“We issued a survey to the public, aimed at those stuck in the A12 traffic to understand how they had been affected. We received stories from the public including people who had missed hospital appointments, funeral services and people missing out on hundreds of pounds due to being unable to get to work.

“This proved to be vital evidence and I’d like to thank the public who were so understanding of the time it took emergency services to resolve this situation and for taking the time to respond to this survey.”

After pleading guilty, Simon Graham appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court today (30 April) where he was sentenced to 12 months suspended for 24 months for intentionally/recklessly causing a public nuisance. He was also sentenced to four months for having an article with a blade or a point, suspended for 24 months to run concurrently.