Three Just Stop Oil supporters who fly posted the offices of a former Conservative MP to draw attention to his lies about a proposed Cumbrian coal mine have been acquitted of criminal damage by a magistrate in Carlisle.
Mark Jenkinson: Just Stop Oiled
The trio took action in April 2024 to demand an end to new licences and consents for oil, gas and coal projects in the UK, something which has subsequently become government policy.
Catherine Rennie Nash, 74, Fiona Atkinson, 68, and Margaret Reid, 54 all from Kendal were part of a group of four arrested on 24 April 2024 after posters reading “Stop Tory Coal” were plastered on the Maryport offices of the former Conservative MP for Workington, Mark Jenkinson:
The three have been acquitted of criminal damage under £5,000 at Carlisle Magistrates today, after the magistrate ruled that the three could not have known that the window was covered with a specialist film that the prosecution alleged had been damaged and led to repair costs of £3,392.21.
Margaret Reid has been on remand at HMP Styal for the past five months after being arrested by Great Manchester Police on August 5 2024 during the Oil Kills international uprising at airports around the world. She is charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance and is due to stand trial on 3 February.
Catherine Rennie Nash said:
Mark Jenkinson promised his constituents a carbon neutral coal mine that would deliver hundreds of jobs for West Cumbria. However the High Court ruled that this was legally flawed and the mine will not go ahead. Mark Jenkinson also claimed that in our efforts to draw attention to this misinformation we had caused thousands of pounds’ worth of damage to his office.
Today we have been found not guilty and we question why the police and courts wasted so much time in pursuing this.
Fiona Atkinson said:
We call on Cumbria’s new MPs to tell the truth about fossil fuels and support, rather than criminalize, people who are drawing attention to the climate crisis. We welcome Markus Campbell-Savours’ and Josh McAllisters’ efforts to bring investment in new green jobs for Cumbria but this needs to happen much more quickly.
Also arrested on 24 April 2024, but subsequently released without charge was Alison Parker who said:
I was shocked that I was arrested, as I only filmed what was happening. I was recognised outside the office by Mark Jenkinson, and then pursued by the police and courts for 8 months until finally my case was dropped. A solicitor is taking on my case for wrongful arrest so I can find out why so much taxpayer’s money was wasted.
An unlawful project in the first place
Mark Jenkinson has been a strong advocate for the proposed new Whitehaven coal mine, which was granted planning permission by the former Conservative Government in 2021, before it was subject to legal challenges by Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Climate Action last year.
The High Court ruled in September 2024 that the former secretary of state for levelling up Michael Gove had acted unlawfully in granting the coal mine proposal planning permission. In doing so the High Court upheld a Supreme Court ruling that the climate impact of burning coal, oil and gas should have been taken into account when deciding whether to approve the project.
Featured image supplied