Just Stop Oil protester, 78, forced to serve extra jail time for M25 blockade as tracking tag won't fit
Watch as Just Stop Oil eco-zealots line London streets to serenade jailed activists
A 78-year-old Just Stop Oil protester has been ordered to serve an additional 20 days in prison after officials failed to find an electronic tag that would fit her thin wrists.
Gaie Delap, from Bristol, learned of the extended sentence via a letter delivered to her prison cell on Friday.
The grandmother was initially released from prison in November under a home detention curfew scheme following her conviction for an M25 protest.
She was recalled to jail just before Christmas when the Electronic Monitoring Service could not fit a tag to either her wrists or ankle, the latter due to deep vein thrombosis.
She was recalled to jail just before Christmas when the Electronic Monitoring Service could not fit a tag to either her wrists or ankle
PA
Delap was jailed for 20 months in August for participating in the November 2022 M25 blockade.
The retired teacher was released on 18 November under home detention conditions.
After officials could not fit a tag to her "too thin" wrists, she was recalled to prison on 29 November, despite being "fully compliant with the terms of release," according to Just Stop Oil.
Following notification of her recall, Delap packed a suitcase and waited at home to be arrested, which occurred on 20 December.
MORE LIKE THIS:
Her release date had been set for March 17 but has now been pushed back to April 7.
Delap's brother, Mick, questioned why officials found it "impossible" to fit a tag to "this normal-sized woman".
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Christmas Eve, he said: "The Government is paying millions of pounds to Serco, who run the electronic monitoring service. They are supposed to be buying up tags which will fit a range of people. Gaie is not exceptional in any way. She is perfectly normal."
He added: "We are desperately asking them to come up with a strap that fits or an alternative electronic fingerprint system, which exists and which the Home Office uses. It is perfectly within their power. Why can't they do it?"
Twenty-five legal, women's and prison reform organisations have joined forces to pressure Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to revoke Delap's recall.
In a letter, the groups stated her "recall serves no purpose other than to exacerbate the punitive aspects of her sentence".
"In the interests of justice, humanity and effective public policy, we request you intervene immediately," the letter reads.
Delap's solicitor Raj Chada called the decision to further punish her "disgraceful" due to the "incompetencies of the state".
Delap's solicitor Raj Chada called the decision to further punish her 'disgraceful' due to the 'incompetencies of the state'
PA
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "We are bound by law to enforce sentences passed down by the independent judiciary, this includes handing down additional days in custody when the law dictates."
The November 2022 M25 protest saw activists climb gantries over Britain's busiest motorway, causing widespread disruption.
The demonstration brought traffic to a standstill at multiple locations during the morning rush hour.
The blockade resulted in 50,000 hours of delays and prevented one man from attending his father's funeral.
During her trial for breaching a National Highways injunction, Delap suffered a stroke.
Just Stop Oil claimed she "experienced significant mistreatment in prison, suffering wrist problems after being handcuffed to a bed in hospital".
Prior to sentencing, Delap told the judge her "heart was breaking" for the future of her six grandchildren.
You may like
