Anti-vax protestor cleared of intending to damage Javid home

An anti-vaccine campaigner has been cleared of intending to cause criminal damage to Sajid Javid's south-west London home.

Geza Tarjanyi travelled from his home in Lancashire in January, when Mr Javid was the health secretary, to stage a protest against the coronavirus vaccine rollout.

The prosecution argued Mr Tarjanyi, 61, planned to damage the Fulham property with glue spray and posters.

He denied the charges.

A jury at Isleworth Crown Court found Mr Tarjanyi not guilty after a two-day trial, during which he argued the spray adhesive and posters he had with him did not mean he was going to use them.

Prosecution barrister Archie Mackay said Mr Tarjanyi was carrying the items to make sure he was arrested - and he was prepared to stick the posters onto the Javids' home.

He said: "If he had done so, that would have been criminal damage. In fact, you will see he was arrested before he needed to do that."

The court heard that the defendant went to the address with "basic filming equipment (and) an envelope of paperwork" alongside another man, who could film the protest.

The jury was shown footage in which Mr Tarjanyi could be seen ringing the doorbell and handing Mr Javid's daughter an envelope.

He then read a copy of the letter to the camera, saying he had just "served a notice" to Mr Javid, threatening to sue the minister for any harm or death caused by the Covid-19 vaccine.

One of Mr Javid's personal protection officers detained Mr Tarjanyi until Metropolitan Police officers arrived and arrested him.