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.
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