Just Stop Oil protesters who blocked main road spared jail

Ishani Milward-Bose, Daniel Wills, Anthony Bradley and Alice Brown blocked the A41 Hendon Way near the Brent Cross Flyover during rush hour.

Just Stop Oil activists Ishani Milward-Bose and Daniel Wills arriving at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, central London, for sentencing after previously being found guilty of one count each of 'interfering with the use or operation of a key national infrastructure' following a protest in November 2023 in Hendon — Just Stop Oil activists Ishani Milward-Bose and Daniel Wills arriving at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for sentencing after previously being found guilty of one count each of ‘interfering with the use or operation of a key national infrastructure’ following a protest in November 2023 in Hendon (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Four Just Stop Oil protesters who blocked a main road in north-west London have been spared jail.

Ishani Milward-Bose, Daniel Wills, Anthony Bradley and Alice Brown blocked the A41 Hendon Way near the Brent Cross Flyover when they took part in a slow march of around 100 people on November 13 2023.

They wore orange hi-vis jackets and carried Just Stop Oil banners as they marched along the A41, a key commuter route, for around three hours, during the morning rush hour.

Just Stop Oil court case — Alice Brown arriving at Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Bradley, 65, Brown, 63, Milward-Bose, 23, and Wills, 22, had all previously pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with the use of a key national infrastructure, contrary to the Public Order Act.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday that thousands of people would have been impacted by the road, a main arterial route into London, being blocked from 8.30am to 11.20am on a Monday.

Defending, Jessica Atkinson said: “The defendants are no longer involved in Just Stop Oil, have accepted early responsibility for their action and indicated they do not intend to do this again.

“These are four productive members of society.

“These defendants are otherwise law-abiding citizens with very promising futures.”

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring described the protest as “a relatively sophisticated, pre-planned major disruption”.

“It must be viewed as causing significant harm and inconvenience,” Judge Goldspring said.

Milward-Bose, an LSE graduate, Wills, an LSE student, Bradley, a retired travel agent, and Brown, a self-employed architect, confirmed their names and addresses.

Sentencing them, Judge Goldspring said: “You are all genuinely remorseful, I am sure of that.

“I am clear there is no public interest in sending you to prison today, or suspending such a sentence.”

The four defendants nodded as they were each sentenced to a 12-month community order to undertake 120 hours of paid work.

They were also ordered to pay costs of £85 each plus surcharge.