A 50-strong jury, by a margin of 10 to one, accepted that the queen of the British Iceni tribe had acted in self-defence against “a rotten and illegitimate Roman government”, The Times reports.

The 2,000 year old figure pleaded not guilty to the charge under the Terrorism Act 2000 that – between January 60 and January 62 – she had “used action involving serious violence against persons, namely the inhabitants of Camulodunum, Londinium and Verulamium” with the aim of repelling the government of Rome and advancing the cause of Iceni secession.

Alison Morgan QC, prosecuting on behalf of the Senate and People of Rome, told the jury: “Do not buy the hype.

“It is important to acknowledge the principle that protects us all from serious violence perpetrated because one individual feels they are entitled to take action,” she said.

Counsel for the accused, Thomas Grant QC, said: “I am confident that a British jury will do justice to a Briton.” 

“What have the Romans ever done for us?”

The Supreme Court’s Lord Justice Stephens presided over the trial. He told Boudica she could reclaim her spear from security and return to her plinth by Westminster Bridge “without any stain on your character and remain as a national symbol of an inspirational hero”.

The trial was the sixth of a classical figure at the Supreme Court. It was organised to raise funds for the education charity Classics for All. Founded in 2010 to reverse the decline in the teaching classics in state schools, it has worked with almost 100,000 pupils in 1,000 schools.