Two activists from the Just Stop Oil movement, Morgan Trowland, 40, and Marcus Decker, 34, have lost their appeal at the Court of Appeal seeking a reduction in their jail sentences. The pair was sentenced to imprisonment after they used climbing equipment, including ropes, to scale the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge on the Dartford Crossing. Their actions led to the closure of the bridge to traffic last October, causing significant gridlock.
During a recent hearing in London, the protesters’ legal representatives attempted to challenge the length of the sentences imposed on Trowland and Decker. Trowland received a three-year sentence, while Decker was sentenced to two years and seven months in jail. However, the Court of Appeal rejected their appeals, with three senior judges ruling that the sentences were not excessive.
Lady Justice Carr, alongside Mrs Justice Cutts and Mrs Justice Thornton, stated that the protest by Trowland and Decker, although non-violent in nature, had severe repercussions for the public. She emphasized that the protesters intentionally sought to cause disruption and chaos, as evidenced by Mr. Trowland’s admission that the warning message depended on disruption. The consequences of their actions were not only predictable but also precisely what the protesters aimed to achieve.
The judges acknowledged the longstanding tradition of civil disobedience on conscientious grounds but noted that the sentences exceeded previous penalties for such offenses. Lady Justice Carr pointed out that the sentences aligned with Parliament’s intentions under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which introduced a new “fault-based public nuisance offense” with a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment for non-violent protest behavior. She asserted that the sentences were intended to deter others from engaging in similar acts.
It was clarified that the sentences should not be perceived as a hindrance to the right to peaceful protest or assembly. The protest led by Trowland and Decker was of an entirely different nature and scale compared to the non-violent protests carried out by conscientious activists exercising their freedom of expression and assembly.
The trial at Basildon Crown Court revealed that the bridge remained closed for an extended period, causing traffic jams as motorists were forced to use alternative routes. The disruption had severe consequences for individuals, including a heavily pregnant woman who required urgent medical attention, a person who missed their best friend’s funeral of 35 years, and a business that lost over £160,000 in earnings.
Trowland, a structural engineer from Islington, North London, and Decker, a private tutor with no fixed address, had denied causing a public nuisance, arguing that their actions constituted a protest. Despite their defense, the jury found them guilty of causing a public nuisance.
Just Stop Oil expressed discontent with the sentencing, alleging that the judge aimed to set a precedent and discourage further protests. Decker, who is a German citizen with leave to remain in the UK, may face deportation after serving his sentence. Trowland has a history of six previous convictions related to protests, while Decker has one prior conviction, and their lawyers have stated they will not participate in further disruptive protests.
