Nine Just Stop Oil protesters convicted after police foiled plot to glue themselves to Heathrow runways

During the seven-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court, the jury heard that if the group had broken through the security fence and gained access to the airfield, there would have been significant safety and operational consequences.

In some cases, passengers would have been diverted to other airports nationally and internationally, leaving them potentially stranded for days.

The court heard how, on Wednesday, July 24 last year, Met Police officers intercepted two JSO groups, near to the perimeter fence of the airport.

The groups, made up of seven JSO members, were immediately arrested and found in possession of angle grinders and glue, indicating their intention to cut through the perimeter fence and attach themselves to the airfield’s surface.

Those arrested also had JSO branded orange high-visibility vests and a prepared statement, confirming their intention to go onto the taxiway, a part of the airfield where planes are moved from the hangar to the runway.

The Met Police said that if they had been successful, the group would have had to cross one of the airport’s runways, endangering the lives of themselves, airport staff and those on flights taking off and landing.

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The seven JSO members arrested at the scene were Sally Davidson, 37, Adam Beard, 55, Luke Elson, 32, Luke Watson, 35, Sean O’Callaghan, 30, Hannah Schafer, 61 and Rory Wilson, 26, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

The organisers arrested on the same day were Rosa Hicks, 29 and William Goldring, 27. Julia Mercer, 74 was acquitted.

Chief Superintendent Ian Howells, from the Met's Aviation Policing Command, said: "Last year, Just Stop Oil threatened a summer of disruption and the Met worked with police forces across the country to make sure this didn’t happen and that no members of the public were put at risk as a result of their activity.

"The reckless actions of this particular group would have not only put their own lives and the lives of others in danger, but caused havoc at Heathrow airport, bringing flights to a standstill."

CS Howells added: "There is a clear distinction between peaceful protest and the criminal activity that this group sought to carry out.

"This kind of action will not be tolerated and the Met will continue to work with all our partners to protect the public, prevent disruption to Londoners and those visiting our city and bring offenders to justice.

"Today’s result is a clear example of this, and a reminder to anyone tempted to carry out similar actions that they will face the full force of the law."

Following the verdict the defendants issued the following statement: "We thank the jury for their service and accept their decision.

"We recognise the constraints they were under given that the judge removed all legal defences, ruled the climate emergency to be ‘irrelevant’, and forbade us from mentioning that a jury has a right to acquit a defendant as a matter of conscience.

"Some of us now face many months in prison for planning an action that never happened. We sought to get media attention so that we could explain the growing suffering and the horror of our heating world and the urgency for global action. In that we count ourselves successful. A small victory won in the wider struggle against complacency, false hope and denial.

"We have no regrets. We planned our campaign with care, aiming to avoid harm and with the intention of preventing greater harm. The bigger crime would have been not to act."

Just Stop Oil Supporters Arrested at Heathrow Airport

The group continued: "When it comes to global heating there are no winners. Governments are rolling the dice on billions of deaths and economic collapse as extreme heat, crop failure and starvation drive mass migration and civil unrest. Our government is failing to protect us and the courts and the judiciary are complicit.

"They are protecting those who profit from death and destruction while criminalising those standing up against it.

"Civil resistance to a morally bankrupt political class is not only necessary as an act of self-defence, it is also morally justified. There are many who know the horror of our situation, who nonetheless are carrying on with business as usual, in the mistaken belief that someone else will solve the problem.

"We are sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you don’t stand up and do something, we are going to lose literally everything."

The group will all be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, May 16.