Greenpeace campaigners who scaled Nelson's Column for a publicity stunt and caused thousands of pounds worth of damage are spared jail
- Alison Garrigan and Luke Jones spared jail over stunt for Greenpeace
- They scaled Nelson's Column and put papier mâché mask on its face
- The stunt was designed to raise awareness over impact of air pollution
- But it caused damage to the statue's fixings and lightning conductor
Two Greenpeace campaigners who caused thousands of pounds of damage to Nelson's Column during a publicity stunt have been spared jail.
Alison Garrigan and Luke Jones scaled the tourist attraction as dawn broke in London's Trafalgar Square on April 18 this year as part of a high-profile air pollution campaign targeting recognised landmarks.
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that the pair, both 30, placed a papier mâché 'gas mask' over the figure as part of the protest.
But in doing so they damaged the 165ft-high granite and bronze Grade I-listed statue's fixings as well as a vertical lightning conductor.
Luke Jones, left, and Alison Garrigan, right, have been given conditional discharges after admitting damaging Nelson's Column during a stunt for Greenpeace in April
The pair put a papier mâché 'gas mask' over the statue's face, pictured, to protest air pollution
Their climbing equipment was the cause of the damage to the statue, which commemorates Admiral Horatio Nelson's victory, and death, at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The pair also flattened spikes intended to deter pigeons from settling on the statue.
Share this article
Skilled climbers, they then abseiled to the ground, where they were arrested by police, who described the protest as 'polite and peaceful'.
They were each given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £85, and a victim surcharge of £30.
Compensation of £6,262 each would be paid for by Greenpeace, the court heard.
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard their climbing equipment (left and right) damaged the statue's fixings and lightning conductor
Greenpeace said it would cover the cost of £6,000 compensation each for the pair over the statue stunt, pictured
Sentencing the pair, chairman of the bench Mike Snow said: 'The defendants are both skilled climbers who, I accept, did not intend to cause damage.
'I accept that they took active steps to avoid damaging the structure.
'They plead guilty on a reckless basis and that is the basis on which I will sentence them.
'The lack of intention to cause the damage is revealed by their guilty plea, the method that they adopted to execute their protest and the confirmation that Greenpeace will today pay the full amount of compensation requested.'
Jones, pictured being arrested, and Greenpeace were trying to raise awareness of the issue ahead of the London Mayoral elections
Garrigan, pictured being arrested, and Jones were also ordered to pay costs of £85, and a victim surcharge of £30
Most watched News videos
- Pro-Palestine protester shouts 'we don't like white people' at UCLA
- Horror as sword-wielding man goes on rampage in east London
- Vunipola laughs off taser as police try to eject him from club
- Two heart-stopping stormchaser near-misses during tornado chaos
- Terrifying moment Turkish knifeman attacks Israeli soldiers
- King and Queen meet cancer patients on chemotherapy ward
- Jewish man is threatened by a group of four men in north London
- King Charles in good spirits as he visits cancer hospital in London
- Shocked eyewitness describes moment Hainault attacker stabbed victim
- Police cordon off area after sword-wielding suspect attacks commuters
- Moment van crashes into passerby before sword rampage in Hainault
- King and Queen depart University College Hospital
