A prominent Just Stop Oil activist has been jailed for disrupting a Premier League football match.
Louis McKechnie, 21, of Weymouth, Dorset, was convicted of aggravated trespass and pitch encroachment after a trial at South Sefton Magistrates' Court on Friday, 30th September 2022.
Aggravated trespass is an offence under section 68(1) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The maximum penalty on summary conviction is 3 months' custody and/or a fine at level 4 (currently £2,500 maximum).
Pitch encroachment is an offence under section 4 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991. The maximum penalty on summary conviction is a fine at level 3 (currently £1,000 maximum).
The offences took place on 17th March 2022 when Everton was playing Newcastle United at Goodison Park.
The circumstances are pretty clear cut, with footage being broadcast live on television and later uploaded to Just Stop Oil's YouTube channel.
Speaking on a video recorded just before the game, McKechnie said: "I'm about to disrupt a football match and I am terrified."
Simon Jones, prosecuting, said that McKechnie entered the pitch at Gwladys Street end of the ground during the 57th minute of the match.
The mechanical engineering student, who was wearing an orange Just Stop Oil t-shirt, clambered over the barrier and walked the short distance to the Everton goal. He then cable tied his own neck to the nearest goalpost.
The crowd could be heard protesting at his actions, with one saying "fuck off you blert" and another asking "what are you fucking doing, you stupid twat?"
It took more than 10 minutes for stewards to cut McKechnie down and police to remove him from the pitch.
PC Colin White, the arresting officer, told the court: "At that time in the football season Everton were struggling so there was great frustration in the crowd already.
"When Mr McKechnie went onto the pitch and attached himself to the goalpost there was a lot of frustration, there was a lot of shouting, a lot of abuse and the occasional missile was being thrown onto the pitch in the direction of the goal."
Laura O'Brien, defending, said McKechnie was responding to the climate emergency and what he believed were failing democratic processes.
She said: "While the world watches this billion-pound enterprise that is Premier League football, which people are captivated by, he is taking the message to them that we need to Just Stop Oil."
McKechnie also gave evidence, saying: "We came up with the idea of how do we get the most eyes on that name, Just Stop Oil, and of course, in this day and age, football is the biggest cultural phenomenon there is."
He confirmed that the fixture was chosen because of Newcastle's sponsorship by oil company Saudi Aramco.
McKechnie added: "Hopefully, public awareness will bring public action which might actually, if we can get the Government to listen to us, might actually save a lot of lives.
"If it's a chance of saving a billion lives, it's worth it no matter the odds."
Having carefully considered matters District Judge Wendy Lloyd was sure that McKechnie was guilty of both offences.
Sentencing, she said his actions had been "reckless" and "potentially very dangerous".
She added: "I have no doubt from what you have told me that you're passionate about your cause.
"Not very passionate about football, apparently."
McKechnie, who has a multitude of convictions stemming from previous protests, was sentenced to 6 weeks' custody for aggravated trespass (although he has already served that time on remand).
He was also fined £50 for pitch encroachment and ordered to pay £128 surcharge, £500 towards prosecution costs and made subject to a 3-year football banning order.
My opinion, for what it's worth, is that this individual is a downright public nuisance. If he's not sitting in the middle of motorways, he's scaling fences, tunnelling under oil refineries or gluing himself to other people's property.
Of course people have the absolute right to speak out in protest, but that right doesn't trump everyone else's right to go about their lawful business - be that driving along a road, admiring a work of art or enjoying a football match.
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