Just Stop Oil eco activist spared jail after he whinges M25 stunt ruined his life and harmed relationship with partner

18 January 2023, 19:23 | Updated: 19 January 2023, 05:38

A Just Stop Oil protester who climbed an M25 gantry has avoided jail after complaining that the stunt "ruined his life" and "disrupted his relationship with his partner".

Alfred Beswick, 26, whinged that the dangerous demonstration that brought furious commuters to a standstill on the busy motorway had caused mayhem in his personal life too.

The Hackney resident scaled the gantry at junction 22, near St Albans, early on November 8 as Just Stop Oil went full-throttle on disruptive protests.

Beswick, who previously spent a month remanded in custody, wrote to the court to say it had "really disrupted his relationship with his partner" and "completely ruined his life".

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Judge Alexander Milne said Beswick knew "what it's like to be in a prison cell" but declined to sentence him to a spell behind bars, suspending his six month sentence for 18 months. Beswick previously admitted causing a public nuisance at Southwark Crown Court.

Beswick scaled the gantry wearing an orange high-vis jacket and helmet, then unfurled a banner saying "stop the oil".

It led to the M25's eastbound carriageway to shut for almost three hours, with prosecutor Jennie Oborne saying possibly thousands of people experienced disruption.

Beswick's defence lawyer Nicholas Goss said he had reflected on his actions and cares deeply "for his concerns of the future".

Judge Milne said he kept trying to climb the gantry even as police arrived.

He said: "He would've known and been well aware his actions were not taken in isolation but part of a widespread package of disruption to effect tens if not thousands of people.

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"He is still a relatively young man and I recognise for him he has had the opportunity to reflect upon the effects of his actions, not only upon himself but his family and for those he cares for.

"I suspect it took a degree of courage on his part to step aside from those who had encouraged him to get involved in these actions and plead guilty for the actions he had done.

"It seems to me that whilst it would be a custodial sentence, it does not need to be immediate but there are good grounds that rehabilitation is realistic in these circumstances."

Beswick was also given 10 days of rehabilitation activity, 100 hours of unpaid work and must pay £600 in fees.