Oil Black Thursday: A Bad Day for Just Stop Oil

Ten Just Stop Oil activists have been charged with plotting to cause disruption at Heathrow Airport.

The environmental campaign group has publicly declared its intention to target airports over busy summer holiday period.

The ten were arrested in the vicinity of Heathrow Airport on Wednesday, 25th July 2024. According to a press release on the Just Stop Oil website, seven were arrested on the airport's perimeter road. The other three were arrested later in the day.

A High Court injunction was granted on 9th July 2024, which prohibits Just Stop Oil activists from entering the perimeter road or the airport land it encircles without the prior consent of Heathrow Airport Limited.

The ten Just Stop Oil activists charged with conspiracy to interfere with key national infrastructure are:

• Sally Davidson, 36 (27/08/1987) of Easton Street, Portland;
• Adam Beard, 55 (20/04/1969) of Stanton Road, Stroud;
• Rosa Hicks, 28 (01/09/1995) of Buxton Road, Stratford;
• Rory Wilson, 26 (22/05/1998) of Lipton Road, Tower Hamlets;
• Luke Elson, 31 (17/02/1993) of Buxton Road, Stratford;
• Luke Watson, 34 (13/09/1989) of The Street, Manuden;
• Sean O'Callaghan, 29 (24/09/1994) of Old London Road, Mickleham;
• Hannah Schafer, 60 (23/08/1963) of Tanygroes, Ceredigion;
• Julia Mercer, 74 (18/06/1950) of Beaumont Street, Calderdale;
• William Goldring, 27 (25/07/1997) of Rye Lane, Southwark.

They appeared in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 26th July 2024. The offence is indictable only, so no pleas will have been entered at this time. It has a maximum penalty of 12 months' custody.

Davidson, Beard, Hicks, Wilson, Elson, Watson, O'Callaghan and Schafer were remanded in custody (or "imprisoned without trial" in the view of Just Stop Oil) on the basis that if granted bail there are substantial grounds to believe they would commit further offences.

Mercer and Goldring were granted conditional bail. The conditions include that they do not go within 1 km of an airport unless they have a valid flight ticket.

The details of the ten's next court hearing are currently unknown, but the eight on remand will likely seek reconsideration of their status early next week.

Elsewhere in Just Stop Oil land, two activists were convicted of causing around £10,000 worth of damage to Van Gogh's Sunflowers painting.

Phoebe Plummer, 22, of Lambeth, and Anna Holland, 22, of Newcastle, were convicted of criminal damage following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

On Friday, 14th October 2022 the pair entered the National Gallery in central London armed with tins of Heinz Tomato Soup. They headed straight for the Van Gogh masterpiece - knowing exactly where it was, having done a recce the previous day - and duly launched the soup all over it.

They also smeared superglue on their hands and affixed themselves to the wall beneath the painting.

The cocky pair knew that the priceless canvas was covered with protective glass, but they didn't bank on the fact that the 17th century gold-etched Italian wooden frame - a priceless artefact in its own right - would be damaged by the corrosive effect of the acidic soup.

As is often the case, they thought that they could tug on the heart strings of jurors by claiming their actions were justified in tackling the emergency of climate change. They also purported that the Human Rights Act 1998 afforded them some protection, as they were expressing themselves via peaceful protest.

Sadly for them the trial judge, HHJ Chris Hehir, was quite clear in his directions that similar defences have been deemed invalid by the Court of Appeal.

He was also quite clear that when the pair are sentenced, on Friday, 27th September 2024, they can expect to go to prison. On the face of it, there seems plenty of aggravating factors and nothing in mitigation. As the image above shows, there's certainly not an ounce of remorse for their criminal actions.

The pair were granted conditional bail until that time. Their conditions include a prohibition on carrying any sort of adhesive substance in a public place or visiting any museum or art gallery.

Holland's solicitor, Katie McFadden, has indicated that her client is considering appealing the conviction. She doesn't like the fact that the judge usurped attempts to bamboozle to jury with a load of eco-babble.

Kent Man in Court Accused of Attempted Murder of British Army Officer

A Kent man has appeared in court accused of the attempted murder of a British Army officer.

Anthony Esan, 24, of Mooring Road, Rochester, appeared in custody at Medway Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 25th July 2025.

He is accused of attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon (actually a bladed article, so I'm sure someone will amend that charge), the first of which is indictable only.

Dressed in grey t-shirt and jogging bottoms, Esan eventually confirmed his name, date of birth and address. According to reports, the 24-year-old student responded by asking "why?" he had to provide those details. No pleas were entered in relation to either matter.

District Judge Stephen Leake remanded Esan in custody pending his next appearance at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday, 22nd August 2024.

As has been widely reported, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton RE, pictured below, was attacked outside his home on the early evening of Tuesday, 23rd July 2024.

He was taking the five minute walk between his place of work at Brompton Barracks, Chatham, and his home in Sally Port Gardens, Gillingham.

Colonel Teeton, who was wearing uniform at the time of the attack, is a programme leader at the Royal School of Military Engineering.

According to reports he sustained at least twelve stab wounds during the attack and was airlifted to hospital. He is currently in a serious but stable condition.

Kent Police were quick to reject terrorism as a motive for the attack, but there remains speculation that the Esan's mental health might be a factor. Given the nature of the attempted murder charge, I would suggest that the Crown isn't placing too much weight on the mental health aspect. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Colonel Teeton is known to Esan's brother.

In order to secure a conviction for attempted murder the Crown needs to prove that the defendant absolutely intended to kill the victim - not just cause him very serious injury. The Crown would not have authorised that particular charge unless it was fairly confident, based on the information it currently has to hand, it could prove Esan's intent.

Man Accused of Torching Leeds Bus During Violent Disorder

A Leeds man has appeared in court accused of torching a bus during scenes of violent disorder in the city last week.

Iustin Dobre, 37, of Dorset Terrace, Harehills, Leeds, entered no plea in relation to charges of arson reckless as to endanger life and violent disorder when he appeared in custody at Leeds Magistrates' Court on Monday, 22nd July 2024.

Arson reckless as to endanger life is an offence under section 1(2) & (3) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971. It has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment on conviction on indictment.

Violent disorder is an offence under section 2 of the Public Order Act 1986. It has a maximum penalty of 5 years' custody and/or an unlimited fine on conviction on indictment; 26 weeks' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction.

As has been widely reported elsewhere, there were violent scenes in the Harehills area of Leeds on the evening of Thursday, 18th July 2024.

The violence, which continued throughout the night, reportedly kicked off when social workers, accompanied by the police, removed a child from the family home.

Video footage uploaded to social media showed several flash points, including the vandalism of a marked police car, barricading of roads and the torching of a bus.

Dobre, who is a Romanian national, was listed to appear at 10 am, but the case was stood down until 2 pm owing to the lack of an interpreter - a highly interesting topic of discussion on Twitter earlier on!

Interpreter eventually located, the case was actually called on at 12.30 pm. District Judge Tim Capstick was presiding.

As anticipated the case was sent straight to Leeds Crown Court.

Dobre was remanded in custody until his next hearing on Monday, 19th August 2024.

Cheshire Man Snared Breaching DVPO by Mobile Phone App

A Cheshire man has been jailed after an app on his mobile phone recorded him breaching his Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO).

The legislation relating to DVPOs is discussed in an earlier article. Very briefly, these are protective orders than can be rapidly obtained when an associated person is at risk of violence or the threat of violence. The maximum penalty for breaching a DVPO is 2 months' custody.

Jacob Snelson, 26, of Pear Tree Drive, Wincham, Northwich, admitted breaching the order when he appeared in custody at Warrington Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 17th July 2024.

The order was made by Chester Magistrates' Court on Friday, 12th July 2024. It addition to the standard non-molestation requirement, it prohibited him from any sort of contact with his former partner or approaching within 100 metres of her home address.

Magistrates heard that Snelson, who is currently subject to other court orders, undergoes regular monitoring visits by the police.

It was during one of those visits, on Tuesday, 16th July 2024, that officers inspected his mobile phone and noticed that it had tracked him to his former partner's address in breach of the DVPO.

Further analysis of the device confirmed that he had visited the same address on five further occasions since the DVPO was made.

Magistrates were of the opinion that Snelson's breach was so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

He was sentenced to 4 weeks' custody.

PC David Howells of Cheshire Constabulary said: "Snelson's reoffending began almost immediately following the issuing of the order, which was put in place less than five days before to protect a vulnerable person who had been the subject of domestic abuse.

"One thing is clear, we will not be needing an app to know the location of Snelson for the next month and I hope his custodial sentence will reassure victims of domestic abuse that we will always take swift action against those intent on causing violence, fear and distress.

"I would encourage anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse to report it, either via 101 or 999 in an emergency."