Three Insulate Britain supporters were given a temporary reprieve after a Crown Court jury failed to reach a majority verdict in the eleventh trial relating to Insulate Britain’s 2021 campaign of nonviolent civil resistance demanding that the government insulate Britain’s cold and leaky homes. [1]
Marguerite Doubleday, Liz Rosser and Suzie Webb were charged with causing a public nuisance in relation to the Insulate Britain roadblock at Upper Thames Street on 25th October 2021. However, after approximately 15 hours of deliberation the jury was unable to reach a majority verdict. Judge Silas Reid dismissed the jury and the Crown Prosecution Service must decide whether to request a retrial by 31st March. [2]
The first sentences for public nuisance in relation to the Insulate Britain 2021 campaign were handed down on Monday this week. Stephen Pritchard was given a custodial prison sentence of 5 weeks after he indicated to the court he would continue in civil resistance, while Roman Paluch, Ruth Cook and Oliver Rock, were given 6 week sentences suspended for 18 months and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work in their communities.[3]
The trial which ended today started with Judge Silas Reid ruling that the defendants could not refer to their motivations for blocking the road in their defence. As with the earlier Insulate Britain jury trials, they were each barred from referring to the climate crisis, insulation or fuel poverty during the trial.
Suzie Webb said:
“My aim of being in Upper Thames Street was to perform a public service to prevent a public climate catastrophe, not cause a public nuisance. I love insulation and want it for all our draughty homes. I work in the insulation field and am shocked at how poor the government’s approach still is.
“Judge Reid has said that in a public nuisance case you are not allowed to explain why you sat on the road or to talk about the climate crisis. Other judges say you can. It has been very challenging to stick to these rules as we are also instructed to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
Liz Rosser said
“I am grateful that the jury took some time to consider their verdict, but I’m not surprised that they could not agree. We were barred from being able to tell the truth which is outrageous in a British Court of law.
“We were prevented from explaining our motives. Climate change was taboo. Even character references were redacted! Is this justice?”
Two weeks ago another two Insulate Britain supporters were sent to prison for seven weeks after being found in contempt of court and refusing to apologise for telling a jury that fuel poverty and the climate crisis had motivated them to sit in the road. Giovanna Lewis, 65, a town councillor from Portland, Dorset and Amy Pritchard, 37, a horticultural worker, from Walthamstow, London defied Judge Reid’s gagging order during the ninth jury trial relating to Insulate Britain’s 2021 campaign. Three supporters in total have now received prison time for speaking the whole truth at Inner London Crown court. [4] [5]
In the eleven Insulate Britain jury trials for public nuisance charges to date, two trials have resulted in a hung jury, two trials have resulted in acquittals, five have resulted in a guilty verdict and two have been deferred.
The Crown Prosecution Service has chosen to summon a total of 56 supporters to answer at least 201 charges of Public Nuisance across at least 51 jury trials the last of which is scheduled to begin on 4th December 2023. These trials are planned to be heard across Inner London, Hove, Lewes and Reading Crown Courts and we estimate will take up around 1428 hours of court time.
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
[1] Insulate Britain is a campaign group that is calling on the UK government to put in place policy and funding for a national home insulation programme starting with all social housing by 2025, and create a meaningful plan to insulate the entire UK housing stock by 2030.
Further information about Insulate Britain and our demands here:
https://insulatebritain.com/
Technical Report on home energy efficiency here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jt5FI-kinEXoqZtPDrCvnAVQ2EFn8Aea/view
Insulate Britain ‘Blue Lights’ policy: our policy is, and has always been, to move out of the way for emergency vehicles with ‘blue lights’ on.
[2] http://insulatebritain.com/2021/10/25/breaking-we-wont-stand-by-while-the-government-kills-our-kids/