Protesters facing jail for occupying drilling rig

CLIMATE change protesters who chained themselves to an oil rig could be jailed after pleading guilty to charges of disorderly conduct.

The five Greenpeace activists occupied the drilling rig in the Cromarty Firth between June 9 and June 13 in an attempt to prevent it being towed to a North Sea field.

Their action sparked a major police operation. Tain Sheriff Court heard the occupation cost rig operator Transocean around £120,000 a day.

Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart, prosecuting, told the court police felt it was ‘a lifethreatening situation’.

He said: ‘The platform was in the process of raising anchors which were swinging loosely. A helicopter, police and marine teams, vessels and cranes all had to be deployed.’

Joanne Paterson, 53 of Munlochy, Ross-shire; Andrew McParland, 52, of Epsom, Surrey; Menna Rajput, 39, of London; Peter Chan, 50, of Reading, Berkshire; and Thomas Johnstone, 35, of Rhos-on-Sea, north Wales, all pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.

Sentence was deferred until September 9 for reports and sheriff Chris Dickson said he was considering all options, including prison.

Six other protesters involved in the incident had their not guilty pleas accepted.