North Yorkshire, UK– Four Greenpeace activists are facing charges of causing criminal damage to former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s constituency home. The activists, Amy Rugg-Easey, 33; Alexandra Wilson, 32; Mathieu Soete, 38; and Michael Grant, 64, allegedly climbed onto the roof of Sunak’s house in North Yorkshire during an anti-oil protest last year, described as “reckless” by prosecutors.
The protest, which took place at Sunak’s mansion in Kirby Sigston near Northallerton, involved draping the house in black fabric and displaying a banner that read “no new oil.” Prosecutors claim that during the five-hour demonstration, the activists caused damage to 15 roof tiles, resulting in nearly £3,000 worth of damage.
York Magistrates Court heard that Sunak, his wife Akshata Murty, and their two daughters were away on their summer holiday at the time of the protest. However, staff at the property were “shocked” to discover the Greenpeace activists in the grounds on the morning of August 3, 2023.
Prosecutor Victoria Ailes stated, “The allegation is that in the course of a protest staged on the roof of a private property, these defendants caused damage to tiles and were at the very least reckless as to doing so. The defendants were the four individuals who, wearing climbing equipment and using ladders, gained access to the roof of the property. They used straps to attach ropes to the chimneys, moved to the south side, and unfurled black drapes and a banner saying ‘no new oil.'”
The court was informed that a roofer, who conducted an inspection nearly two weeks after the protest, identified the 15 damaged tiles and noted the damage was recent due to “weathering and colorations.”
District Judge Adrian Lower reviewed footage of the defendants sitting on the roof and photographs of the damaged tiles during the trial.
