For the purpose of the criminal law, what mattered was whether Lindon believed that his actions were reasonable. Although this case is on the specific interpretation of the statutory defence under s5 Criminal Damage Act 1971, the fact that the defendant was not out of time after nine months of inaction is interesting. On a similar statutory defence, "DPP v Bayer and Others" (2004) 1 Cr. App. R. 493 dealt with defence of private property as a defence to aggravated trespass under section 68 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.