Climate activist and journalist Jan Goodey will spend Christmas in jail after being sentenced to six months in prison for disrupting traffic on the M25 as part of the Just Stop Oil (JSO) protests.
Goody, 57, from Brighton, Written News and Analysis ecologist and Revival and Ecologists Magazine. He is expected to serve half of his sentence – so he may not be released until early March 2023.
The Kingston University journalism lecturer is the first person to be sentenced for a statutory offense under the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (PCSC).
peaceful
JSO activists, along with Animal Rebellion supporters, climbed gantries on several sections of the highway during rush hour – causing chaos.
Goody was arrested on Monday, November 7 this year after climbing onto the gantry at Junction 16. His hearing was later held at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 29 November 2022, where he admitted intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance.
Magistrates imposed a nine-month prison sentence, which was reduced to six months on a guilty plea. Goodey is one of about 30 Just Stop Oil activists who are currently serving prison terms or facing incarceration for their part in the wave of destructive operations.
The JSO reported that the magistrate spoke of wanting to use his sentence as a deterrent to further disrupt ordinary people from conducting their “legitimate business”.
A spokesman for the JSO said: “This shows that our government would rather jail peaceful protesters than end the new oil and gas that would destroy everything we know and love. We will continue to use all possible nonviolent means to stop this horror. That is what Jane did.”
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JSO campaigners see vandalism as part of citizens’ “legal right” and “moral duty” to act against great harm under UK law.
They said: “As the UN points out, the consequence of the UK government’s policy to allow new North Sea oil and gas is that there is ‘no credible route’ to keep heating at or below 1.5C.
“This will lead to the breakdown of orderly civil society, the loss of our rights and freedoms, and the death of countless people. We will not stand by and allow this massacre to happen.”
Appearing at South Crown Court, Amy Rose, 20, from Bromley, said: “If you’re angry at the behavior of ‘stop oil’ supporters, ask yourself how things got here of? Imagine how you would feel if it was your son or daughter who was locked up for doing the right thing.”
these authors
Yasmin Dahnoun is ecologist. Brendan Montague is ecologist.
