Roger Hallam, the founder of Just Stop Oil, along with four associates, has been sentenced to a combined total of 21 years in prison following their scheme to disrupt motorways.
Hallam, 58, Daniel Shaw, 38, Louise Lancaster, 58, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, 35, and Cressida Gethin, 22, were all implicated in the plan that brought motorway traffic to a halt.
Their actions caused significant delays, totaling over 50,000 hours, and affected more than 700,000 vehicles, leaving the M25 compromised for more than 120 hours.
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The group’s intentions were uncovered when The Sun infiltrated a Zoom call where they were discussing their plans. This led to their arrests and subsequent conviction for conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Their actions in November 2022 resulted in a financial impact of £1.1 million on British taxpayers.
During sentencing, the eco-activists expressed their solidarity, shouting “I love you” as they were escorted from the courtroom. Judge Christopher Hehir highlighted that their actions had crossed the line from advocacy to fanaticism. The court was told that approximately 45 individuals had scaled gantries on the motorway, with one police officer sustaining injuries due to the resulting traffic.
Judge Hehir remarked on the sophistication and detailed planning of the disruption, which was evidenced by the recorded Zoom call. He praised the recordings as strong evidence of a conspiracy.
Roger Hallam received a five-year sentence, while his four co-conspirators were each sentenced to four years. These sentences are notably harsher than those previously given to Just Stop Oil protesters Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker, who received three years and two years and seven months, respectively, for a similar protest at the Dartford Crossing in October 2022.
The newspaper had infiltrated a Just Stop Oil meeting and provided police with recordings of the activists’ plans to cause widespread disruption. During the Zoom call, Hallam, also a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, claimed their goal was to create “the biggest disruption in British modern history.”
Judge Hehir commended The Sun for their role in passing on the information to the police, acknowledging that the publication had acted appropriately. He emphasized that the defendants’ actions showed a disregard for the rights of their fellow citizens.
Following the tip-off, police were able to act swiftly to mitigate the scale of the planned protests. National Highways also secured an emergency High Court injunction to prevent further disruption. The operation’s Gold Command expressed gratitude to The Sun for their evidence.
In court, Judge Hehir identified Hallam as a key figure in the conspiracy, describing him as being “at the very top of the tree.” He outlined the extensive impact of the protests, noting that the entire orbital motorway was affected and the Metropolitan Police incurred costs exceeding £1 million. The disruptions caused people to miss flights and funerals, emphasizing the severe consequences of the group’s actions.
The sentencing of the five activists came after a two-week trial, during which the judge ruled that the jury should not consider evidence about climate change as a justification for the defendants’ actions. This ruling led to significant outrage from their supporters. After their guilty verdicts, the judge had warned the defendants that they would face lengthy prison sentences. They are expected to serve half of their sentences in custody.
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