Jail for Insulate Britain protesters

Two Insulate Britain activists hung a large black and white banner from a balcony inside the High Court that read ‘insulate or die’ today (weds).

Arne Springorum, 49 – whose case was dismissed yesterday – and a fellow activist known as ‘Hannah Banner’, 58, shouted ‘time to act’, and ‘insulate Britain’ from the balcony.

They shouted: ‘I don’t want to do this but I feel compelled to,’ and ‘take the climate crisis seriously’.

Security guards removed the banner and urged the two protesters to leave, which was met by a round of applause from activists in the hall below.

Mr Springorum is an expert in industrial energy who came from the Czech Republic to join Insulate Britain, leaving his wife and children behind.

Four Insulate Britain protesters who were arrested yesterday for glueing themselves to the High Court steps have not yet been produced due to issues with transportation from the police station.

Theresa Norton, 63, Dr Diana Warner, 62, Ellie Litten, 35, and Steve Pritchard, 62, are expected to appear in court after lunch to make representations for themselves.

The climate activists had defied a series of High Court injunctions, granted to National Highways and Transport for London to prevent their protests on the M25 last October.

Lord Justice William Davis is expected to give his judgement on the 15 remaining protesters at 3pm today.

Fifteen other activists all admit or do not contest claims they breached a High Court injunction in relation to Insulate Britain protests between Junction 28 and 29 of the M25 on October 29.

They are Ben Taylor, 27; Ben Buse, 36; Biff Whipster, 54; David Nixon, 35; Diana Warner, 62; Ellie Litten, 35; Gabriella Ditton, 28; Indigo Rumbelow, 27; Paul Sheeky, 46; Ruth Jarman, 58; Stephanie Aylett, 27; Stephen Gower, 55; Stephen Pritchard, 62; Rev Sue Parfitt, 79; and Theresa Norton, 63.

Yesterday (tues) Springorum, along with Jessica Causby, 25, Liam Norton, 37, were found not to be in contempt of court during a protest at South Mimms roundabout on 2 November 2021.

The demonstration was intended to block the M25 near Junction 23 at Bignells Corner, Potters Bar, but Lord Justice William Davis decided that area was not covered by the M25 injunction.

The Four Insulate Britain protesters arrested yesterday for glueing themselves to the High Court steps addressed the judge today.

Parish councillor Stephen Pritchard, 62, said: ‘This case is no longer about my contempt of court. It is now about this court’s contempt of the climate.

‘No Government supports peaceful protest unless it is in another country.

‘I anticipate an irresponsible ruling in support of business as usual.

‘The only antidote to my despair is disruptive, non-violent protest.’

He told the court he was raised by ‘devout Catholic’ parents who taught him that ‘there are things much more important than self-interest’.

‘My whole adult life I’ve tried to make the world a better place,’ he said, for example by planting trees and cycling eight miles to and from work to avoid creating pollution.

‘Such efforts by the conscientious are insignificant to even scratch the surface of climate catastrophe,’ he added.

‘Clearly, we are not a rational species. If we were rational, climate heating would have been solved decades ago.

‘I have a friend who cannot sleep at night because he is so cold and he cannot afford to hear his uninsulated flat.’

Pritchard – who has been arrested 13 times – said an enforcement officer told him: ‘I agree with the cause’ while serving an injunction. Another officer said: ‘Thank you for taking a moral stand.’

He criticised the use of a civil trial as a way of ‘bypassing criminal case law’ and ‘keeping us away from trial by jury’, claiming it to be a ‘political decision’.

Scarborough Labour Councillor Theresa Norton – the mother of activist Liam Norton – said she was elected councillor to represent the people living on the council estate where she grew up.

‘I find it utterly disgusting that in this day and age there are so many that simply can’t afford to eat in the 21 Century in the fifth richest country in the world,’ she said, adding: ‘Shameful.’

She apologised for the people who were ‘temporarily detained’ and ‘inconvenienced’ by the direct action, but said: ‘Would I do it again? Absolutely.’

‘I joined the Insulate Britain campaign because I’ve had enough,’ she said, vowing to ‘continue to fight for climate justice’.

She asked for a short prison sentence as ‘there are people in Scarborough on me’. She is also the primary carer for her 92-year-old mother.

The four activists who glued themselves to the High Court steps yesterday were handed immediate custodial prison sentences.

Diana Warner, 62, was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment, Ellie Litten, 35, was handed a 42 day sentence, Stephen Pritchard, 62, was given 24 days and Theresa Norton, 63, was sentenced to 24 days behind bars.

Ben Taylor, 27, was jailed for 32 days as he is already serving a prison sentence.

Upon hearing this, a supporter yelled ‘outrageous’ and was removed from the courtroom after Lord Justice Davis said: ‘Could you please ask that gentleman to leave.’

There was a round of applause in the courtroom as the supporter was escorted out.

Lord Justice Davis found that ‘the breach of the order was proved’, but said they admitted breaching it in any event.

The remaining 11 protesters were all handed suspended sentences today.

Christian Rowe, 24, was given the longest suspended sentence at 60 days jail.

Gabriella Ditton, 28, David Nixon, 35, Indigo Rumbelow, 27, and Stephanie Aylett, 27, were given 42 day suspended sentences and Ben Buse, 36, was given 40 days.

Reverend Sue Parfitt, 79, and Ruth Jarman, 58, were handed 30 day suspended sentences while Paul Sheeky, 46, Biff Whipster, 54, and Stephen Gower, 55, were sentenced to 24 days.

All those sentences were suspended for two years.

The activists handed suspended sentences were taken initially down to the cells amid applause and cries of ‘love you’ from supporters in the courtroom.

Earlier Lord Justice Davis noted ‘the obvious and genuine strength of feeling about a topic that is of immense and overwhelming importance’.

But went on to say that Mr Justice Lavender’s court order was breached.

‘We are not here and cannot be here to review that order, to conduct an appeal against it, or otherwise to consider whether it was made correctly or incorrectly.

‘We are simply concerned with the fact that an order was made by a court and a court order is to be obeyed.’

Lord Justice Davis said High Court orders must be upheld, otherwise, ‘the rule of law would fall apart’.

He said: ‘If the rule of law did not apply those who would benefit the most from it would be those with the most power.’

Insulate Britain members in the courtroom responded to this comment with laughter.

In his speech Stephen Pritchard asked the judges ‘to exercise moral courage and imagination’, but Lord Justice Davis said that his role is to ‘enforce a lawful order made by a High Court judge’.

Until the order is discharged or appealed against, it is his job to uphold it.

‘What we’re engaged in is in no sense a value judgement about the merits and demerits of the Government’s [climate police].’

Suspended sentences were handed to the defendants who ‘positively’ engaged in dialogue with the court process, ‘or at the very least’ those who did not clearly disrupt it.

But the four who left the court yesterday and refused to return after a bench warrant was issued were given immediate custodial sentences.

‘The fact that they made a protest outside is not a matter for which were punishing them,’ Lord Justice Davis said.

When sentencing each individual, they took into account ‘the extent of the actual harm caused by the defendant’s act’ and ‘the overall sentence to be imposed’ – which was specifically relevant to Ben Taylor who is already in prison.

The judges also considered whether the breach occurred after the defendant had been served with an application to commit as well as ‘personal mitigation’.

The defendants who wish to make submissions on costs may do so in writing, but there will not be another hearing on costs.

‘Some of you have already spoken about your means, or to be more accurate, lack of,’ said Lord Justice Davis.

He granted an application for permission for appeal which must be made within 14 days.