For more than a decade, David Hampson has made a habit of standing motionless in the middle of a busy road until police arrest him – only to maintain complete silence from that moment onwards. Last month, just four weeks after completing a prison term for his most recent offence, the 55-year-old returned to his familiar protest spot outside Swansea Central police station.
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Hampson, of no fixed address, has been repeating this unusual pattern since 2014. He always positions himself at the junction of De La Beche Street, obstructing traffic until officers intervene. From arrest through to court proceedings, he refuses to speak to police, lawyers, doctors, judges or probation officers, and the motive for his behaviour remains a mystery.
Over the years, courts have repeatedly examined whether Hampson is deliberately refusing to speak – legally termed “mute of malice” – or whether a physical or psychological condition prevents him from doing so, described in law as being “mute by visitation of God”. Jurors have previously heard evidence from prison staff who reported that he had spoken to them in custody, leading to findings that his silence is deliberate.
His latest offence occurred on 19 June this year, barely a month after serving a six-month sentence for the same act in the same place. Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard that Hampson stood in the carriageway outside the police station, blocking traffic until his arrest. As before, he declined to enter a plea, prompting the court to record one of “not guilty” on his behalf. He was subsequently convicted of obstructing the highway and sentenced to another six months in prison, of which he will serve no more than half in custody before release on licence.
Hampson’s criminal history includes multiple convictions for public nuisance and breaching Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) – known in legal slang as ‘Crasbos’. He has served several custodial sentences, including a three-and-a-half-year term in 2022. During that case, a psychiatric assessment concluded that his mutism was “selective and deliberate”, though possible social or financial pressures could play a role. No diagnosable psychiatric condition was identified, and a hospital order was ruled out.
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Despite repeated interventions and warnings, Hampson has continued to return to the same location. In October 2023, after being spoken to and advised to move on by officers, he re-entered the road and was arrested again. While on bail for that incident, he returned to his protest spot, resulting in another arrest and subsequent conviction.
His behaviour has remained unchanged through every hearing – no defence offered, no questions asked, and eyes cast down in the dock. Judge Huw Rees has previously described his silence as “breathtaking arrogance and insolence”. With his latest conviction now on record, Hampson remains a puzzle to the courts, the police, and the public – a silent figure whose only message, if any, has yet to be spoken.
