The sister of a Newhall soldier killed in Iraq while fighting for his country backed veterans who staged a silent protest to snub a man who had worn military uniform without permission.
Veteran military men from across the country stood inside Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’'Court to turn their back on Chris Webster as he attended court to face charges for wearing military uniform without the permission of the Queen, an offence under the 1894 Uniforms Act.
Adele Fessey, sister of Corporal Russell Aston, who was killed in 2003, attended court with her father Mike, to see Webster fined £500.
Webster bought the uniform he had been wearing at events while collecting money for Shoeboxes For Our Heroes (SFOH) on eBay and admitted to having military dress from a friend who had left the Armed Forces.
The court heard that, once Webster found out that he was not allowed to wear the uniform, he stopped. The 43-year-old, of Sunny Grove, Chaddesden, in Derby, was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £50 victim surcharge.
Mrs Fessey, 40, said of the silent protest before his court appearance: "The ex-servicemen were inside the court, and as he walked past with his solicitor, all the veterans turned their back on him which is apparently one of the biggest snubs you can have in the military.
"He did look mortified. They were all in their medals and caps basically saying ‘we earned these’."
She also told the Burton Mail's sister paper the Derby Telegraph: "It is insulting, what he’s done. A lot of people take offence to what he has done."
Her father, Mike, added: "Whatever they gave him (court fines) wouldn't have been enough."
