M25 protesters to face more serious charges
After more motorway chaos, police could employ ‘conspiracy’ prosecution with stiffer sentences
CLIMATE change protesters who yesterday blocked the M25 for a third time in less than a week could face conspiracy charges amid concern that low level offences will simply result in “slap on the wrist” sentences.
Police chiefs came under fire after members of Insulate Britain again brought chaos to the motorway network during the rush hour.
Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, demanded more action from forces after videos emerged earlier in the week appearing to show officers facilitating the protests rather than arresting the activists.
Frustrated motorists expressed anger that the demonstrators, who were first arrested on Monday, had still not been charged and had been free to continue taking their action. But the police are understood to be reluctant to prosecute the activists for relatively minor offences such as blocking the highway, because the sentences available are unlikely to act as a deterrent.
Instead senior officers from Hertfordshire, Surrey, Kent, Essex and the Met have been exploring whether they can bring more serious charges, including conspiracy to cause public nuisance.
One police source said: “The disruption involved massively outweighs the offence, and the protesters are well aware of that. Most of those involved have been arrested on suspicion of blocking the highway, which is a relatively minor offence. Even if these cases reach the charging threshold for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and it goes to court, the sentences available on conviction are very small.
“As we saw with some of the Extinction Rebellion protesters they walked away with conditional discharges, which ends up encouraging others to take similar action.”
The maximum sentence available for blocking a highway is £1,000. However, it is likely to be just a fifth of that if it is a first offence. By charging the suspects with conspiracy offences, the cases could be heard in a Crown Court where the sentencing powers of judges are much higher than those in the magistrates’ courts.
Protesters targeted six different sections of the M25 and connecting roads yesterday morning. In Surrey near Leatherhead, a group of 14, including Sue Parfitt, 79, a retired vicar, blocked a motorway slip road. The protest began at 8.40am, shortly after activists called the police to alert them of their plans.
“We’re not doing this for fun, this is a real emergency,” Rev Parfitt said.
Police arrived within five minutes and arrests began after 10 minutes, with protesters told that they were causing an obstruction. Two protesters were arrested for criminal damage after daubing “IB” on the road in blue paint.
Others were arrested for conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, signalling a ramping up of the police response,
Derek Turner, 64, was in one of the cars blocked while on his way to a doctors’ appointment.
“It’s taken two and a half hours to get here and now I’m going to miss it,” he said. “Look at the pollution they’re causing. I think it’s a waste of time.”
Insulate Britain said 79 protesters had taken part in action yesterday, less than the 89 who went out on Wednesday and the 92 who blocked roads on Monday. In Essex, officers intervened before the protesters had the chance to sit down at Junction 28 of the M25.
Fifteen people were arrested on suspicion of highways obstruction offences and other road traffic act offences.
Essex Police arrested a further nine people at a second protest site in the area at Junction 8 of the M11.
Shortly after 8am, Kent Police arrested 10 people on suspicion of obstructing a highway at junction 3 of the M25. A sixth and final group of protesters targeted Junction 5 of the M1 near Watford. Officers from Hertfordshire Police arrived on the scene after being notified of their stunt at 10.36am. The road was clear by 11.05am.
Assistant Chief Constable Genna Telfer, of Hertfordshire Constabulary, said: “We are working with our partners and neighbouring police forces around the whole of the M25 to ensure that the police response is coordinated to these recent protests which have been spontaneous in nature.
“While we are unable to predict where or when they will take place, please be reassured that we will attend and remove individuals as quickly as possible. Safety of all road users is paramount.”