Seven Insulate Britain supporters have been found guilty by a jury at Reading Crown Court for taking part in Insulate Britain’s 2021 campaign of nonviolent civil resistance undertaken to demand the UK government insulate Britain’s cold and leaky homes. [1]
David Crawford, Janine Eagling, Louise Lancaster, Nicholas Onley, Rob Stuart, Nicholas Till, and Biff Whipster appeared before Judge Campbell and were found guilty of Common Law Public Nuisance for blocking the A1306 in Essex. Gabriella Ditton, Tim Speers, and Stefania Morosi previously pleaded guilty to this charge.
Lou Lancaster, 58, a retired teacher from Cambridge said:
“Insulation is even more vital now than when we sat in the road. I am proud to continue the nonviolent fight until all the homes in Britain are insulated, and carbon is reduced, and lives are saved.”
There is still a need to insulate Britain’s leaky housing stock. With millions of families now living in penury due to their dependency on fossil fuels which have seen huge price increases since the 2021 campaign.
The trial began on 19th February. Speaking to the Jury, Rob Stuart said:
“I work in mental health as a psychotherapist. I work with people struggling with relationships, work, and sexuality. People struggling to have their voices heard. Helping them to find their voice.”
“I know what it is like not to be heard. I have been concerned about climate change since I was a teenager. I tried to raise it politely and it fell on deaf ears. I was a member of the Green Party. I have signed petitions, contacted my MP, been on peaceful protests. I do not feel I have been heard, I do not feel my concerns have been taken seriously. Even now, global CO2 emissions continue to rise. If they weren’t I would not be here. I would rather be at home.”
“I take no pleasure in sitting in the road being laughed at because I care about the world. I am the father of a 10 year old girl, she is perfect. She has aspirations to be a writer or a hairdresser. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for her.”
In the 20 Insulate Britain jury trials for public nuisance charges to date, four trials have resulted in a hung jury, two trials have resulted in acquittals, eleven have resulted in a guilty verdict and three have been deferred. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has applied for retrials in the three cases where the jury failed to reach a majority verdict.
The CPS has chosen to summon a total of 56 supporters to answer at least 211 charges of public nuisance across at least 46 jury trials, with additional retrials planned into 2025. These trials are planned to be heard across Inner London, Hove, Lewes, Woolwich, and Reading Crown Courts and we estimate will take up at least 1,462 hours of court time at a cost of over £1 million.
Ends
Press contact: 07762987334
Email: insulatebritainpress@protonmail.com
High quality photos and video footage available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Kucq-NfhnZLGJWwLx1HX03cWR7M9Y2-m
Website: https://www.insulatebritain.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insulatebritain
Twitter: https://twitter.com/insulatelove
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8N5mAeeCLbD-AFUqtPaF0g
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.