The Naked Rambler jailed yesterday for six months

[Bushnud2]

Thu 14 Dec 2006

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1853862006

Comments (10)

TV nudist is sent back to jail for 'unreasonable behaviour'

A MAN who appeared on the BBC television series The Naked Rambler was jailed yesterday for six months.

Stephen Gough, 47, a former Royal Marine from Eastleigh in Hampshire, was found guilty after a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court of exposing himself in public and committing a breach of the peace by walking naked out of Saughton Prison on 3 November.

Gough had just completed three and a half months of the seven-month sentence imposed in August for a similar offence committed in July.

Refusing to wear clothes, Gough did not give evidence himself at the trial. Sheriff Douglas Allan said as Gough had taken this position he had disabled himself from appearing.

Finding Gough guilty, Sheriff Allan said it was not reasonable to walk around naked where there were men, women and children, and not unreasonable that people might have been alarmed and upset or take reprisals into their own hands.

Related topic

Naked Rambler
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=952
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1853862006

Last updated: 14-Dec-06 01:13 GMT

Comments Add your comment1. Media 1, Cape Town / 7:55am 14 Dec 2006 Arrest all new born babies! Naked is unatural...Get a life Sheriff.

Report as unsuitable 2. Donnie Murdo, Stornoway / 9:05am 14 Dec 2006 Do you walk about in public with your wee willy winkie out Media?

Report as unsuitable 3. a tax payer, The real world / 9:12am 14 Dec 2006 If a sheriff put him on sex offenders list he would stop this unreasonable behaviour, and get dressed pronto

Report as unsuitable 4. Brian1, Dingwall / 9:37am 14 Dec 2006 He should concentrate on bashing up old ladies, he'd get less prison time.

I don't think nakedness should be a crime - it's easy enough to look away.

No-one is hurt. It's just an unsightly nuisance - except in the case of good looking young women who should be encouraged to follow his example

Report as unsuitable 5. Mallory / 10:07am 14 Dec 2006 Stop persecuting his man - what on earth harm is he doing?

Report as unsuitable 6. Guga, Rockall / 10:28am 14 Dec 2006 The man is a weirdo. He obviously likes being in gaol. I wonder if he walks around naked there? They should deport him to England the minute he finishes his sentence.

Report as unsuitable 7. Dougie, Edinburgh / 10:55am 14 Dec 2006 He's obviously mentally ill, anyone walking around Edinburgh in November with no clothes needs to be locked up for their own safety!

Report as unsuitable 8. The Word, In the Beginning / 3:54pm 14 Dec 2006 So much for multiculturalism!

Report as unsuitable 9. Infidel, Dar ul harb / 6:10pm 14 Dec 2006 If he persists in going nude at this time of year he could get exposure. On the other hand, I guess he could just grin and bear it.

Report as unsuitable 10. Buckyeye Bob, Ohio, USA / 8:08pm 14 Dec 2006 From what I have been reading, the man hasn't hurt anyone or sexually assaulted anyone, so why not leave him alone.

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[Bushnud2]

Thu 14 Dec 2006

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1853862006

Comments (10)

TV nudist is sent back to jail for 'unreasonable behaviour'

A MAN who appeared on the BBC television series The Naked Rambler was jailed yesterday for six months.

Stephen Gough, 47, a former Royal Marine from Eastleigh in Hampshire, was found guilty after a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court of exposing himself in public and committing a breach of the peace by walking naked out of Saughton Prison on 3 November.

Gough had just completed three and a half months of the seven-month sentence imposed in August for a similar offence committed in July.

Refusing to wear clothes, Gough did not give evidence himself at the trial. Sheriff Douglas Allan said as Gough had taken this position he had disabled himself from appearing.

Finding Gough guilty, Sheriff Allan said it was not reasonable to walk around naked where there were men, women and children, and not unreasonable that people might have been alarmed and upset or take reprisals into their own hands.

Related topic

Naked Rambler
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=952
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1853862006

Last updated: 14-Dec-06 01:13 GMT

Comments Add your comment1. Media 1, Cape Town / 7:55am 14 Dec 2006 Arrest all new born babies! Naked is unatural...Get a life Sheriff.

Report as unsuitable 2. Donnie Murdo, Stornoway / 9:05am 14 Dec 2006 Do you walk about in public with your wee willy winkie out Media?

Report as unsuitable 3. a tax payer, The real world / 9:12am 14 Dec 2006 If a sheriff put him on sex offenders list he would stop this unreasonable behaviour, and get dressed pronto

Report as unsuitable 4. Brian1, Dingwall / 9:37am 14 Dec 2006 He should concentrate on bashing up old ladies, he'd get less prison time.

I don't think nakedness should be a crime - it's easy enough to look away.

No-one is hurt. It's just an unsightly nuisance - except in the case of good looking young women who should be encouraged to follow his example

Report as unsuitable 5. Mallory / 10:07am 14 Dec 2006 Stop persecuting his man - what on earth harm is he doing?

Report as unsuitable 6. Guga, Rockall / 10:28am 14 Dec 2006 The man is a weirdo. He obviously likes being in gaol. I wonder if he walks around naked there? They should deport him to England the minute he finishes his sentence.

Report as unsuitable 7. Dougie, Edinburgh / 10:55am 14 Dec 2006 He's obviously mentally ill, anyone walking around Edinburgh in November with no clothes needs to be locked up for their own safety!

Report as unsuitable 8. The Word, In the Beginning / 3:54pm 14 Dec 2006 So much for multiculturalism!

Report as unsuitable 9. Infidel, Dar ul harb / 6:10pm 14 Dec 2006 If he persists in going nude at this time of year he could get exposure. On the other hand, I guess he could just grin and bear it.

Report as unsuitable 10. Buckyeye Bob, Ohio, USA / 8:08pm 14 Dec 2006 From what I have been reading, the man hasn't hurt anyone or sexually assaulted anyone, so why not leave him alone.

Report as unsuitable Add your comment
To post a comment you will first need to log in or register.

[Stu2630]

It's interesting to note that, while he has some supporters, especially from countries other than Scotland, most of those who oppose him are actually in Scotland. How many ordinary Americans, for example, read The Scotsman newspaper? Clearly his main supporters are nudists from all over the place who find out about his predicament on sites like this.

Some of the criticism directed at him is extremely vicious (e.g. weirdo, exhibitionist, pervert etc) so obviously there are some strong feelings invoked about what he is doing. Others simply ridicule him. This man is hardly a good advert for the kind of responsible nudism that seeks to win respect from the wider community.

When Mr Gough first began his venture, I said here that nudists should keep him at arms' length. I am now even more convinced that I was right.

Stu

[Pete Knight]

Firstly, Steve claims not to be a naturist, secondly I believe the adverse comments from the Scot's was probably because Steve is English, and anything English attracts adverse comment from some Scottish people.

Steve is a very nice, genuine guy, he just doesn't do a very good PR job in his quest for the "Freedom to be Yourself".

Pete Knight

[Stu2630]

Pete

I know Steve is a nice guy - and I have no doubt he's also genuine. I'm also aware that he claims not to be a naturist, and that's part of the problem. Naturists tend to be respectful of the sensibilities of others and they do their best not to offend us textiles. Steve dismisses our sensibilities and thinks we are not entitled to have them. I think that's both arrogant and wrong-headed.

Although he doesn't claim to be a naturist, people will still make the association between his antics and those of naturists. He will be seen as some sort of zealout. You can see a similar juxtaposition between Steve and naturism on the one hand, and hardline vegans and normal vegetarians on the other. Some hardline vegans think that meat is murder and it is obscene to display it in butchers' shops or supermarkets. These people have the opposite effect than they desire upon people who are turned off becoming vegetarian because of this lunatic fringe. It's happening to some extent in the UK with Islam, whereby the ones who are getting noticed are the extremists and the poor old moderate majority are suspected and stigmatised because of these few radicals. Moderate recognise that other people have a right to feel differently about things than they do. Moderate people win change by virtue of compromise and negotiation with the wider society. Steve refuses to compromise and he's paying a heavy price for that and achieving little for his cause.

A feature of naturism that is recognised and admired by die-hard textiles is the thoughtfulness of naturists towards the fact that we are uncomfortable with nakedness, so they refrain from practising it in our presence.

I'm afraid that Steve has lost much of the public sympathy now and he hardly features any more in the media, in spite of him serving a series of quite lengthy prison sentences. He is becoming regarded as a crackpot who is challenging the authority of the Scottish legal system and paying the price. He is also rapidly becoming forgotten. He is now achieving nothing and should have quit while he was ahead.

Stu

[Pete Knight]

quote:

Originally posted by Stu2630:
I'm afraid that Steve has lost much of the public sympathy now and he hardly features any more in the media, in spite of him serving a series of quite lengthy prison sentences. He is becoming regarded as a crackpot who is challenging the authority of the Scottish legal system and paying the price. He is also rapidly becoming forgotten. He is now achieving nothing and should have quit while he was ahead.

Stu

I can't deny that at all Stu, shame he can't see it though.

Pete Knight

[Bob S.]

Stu:"It's interesting to note that, while he has some supporters, especially from countries other than Scotland, most of those who oppose him are actually in Scotland."

Don't tell Steve that. He'll get a Jesus complex!

The negativity is increased only because he is constantly being arrested and rearrested for repeatedly doing the same thing over and over. They seem to be just tired of it all and are taking their frustrations on Steve since he is violating the law (and his probation).

Bob S.

[deanche]

quote:

Originally posted by Bob S.:
Stu:"It's interesting to note that, while he has some supporters, especially from countries other than Scotland, most of those who oppose him are actually in Scotland."

Don't tell Steve that. He'll get a Jesus complex!

The negativity is increased only because he is constantly being arrested and rearrested for repeatedly doing the same thing over and over. They seem to be just tired of it all and are taking their frustrations on Steve since he is violating the law (and his probation).

Bob S.

How come everything in a democrace is against the law. unless of course you have a certificate , Permit , Or License for it.
Yet the governing officials refuse to creat a permit for not wearing cloths.. and if they did where would you keep it on you....

[shaneone]

Steve Gough really needs to quit. He was ahead for a very short time and had quite a bit of support, but once you get arrested more than twice people start to think he is a nut. I saw the documentary and was living in Scotland at the time he started his walk and found him to be a slightly off-the-rails guy.

His ideas to promote nudity and body freedom are admirable, but he has just generated too much negative press.

[Fuzzy Nuts]

I think he just like being looked after by the government - free room and board!