Owen Greenhall, co-convenor of the Garden Court Protest Law Team, represented all defendants at trial. He was instructed by Mike Schwarz of Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors.
Four Greenpeace activists represented by Owen Greenhall had charges of criminal damage dismissed, following a submission of no case to answer in a trial at York Magistrates’ Court.
The activists had climbed onto the roof of the constituency home of the then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak MP, in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire and draped black fabric over the mansion in protest at the expansion of North Sea oil and gas. The former Prime Minister and his family were known to be away at the time.
The prosecution alleged that a number of slate tiles were broken by activists during the demonstration. However, following cross-examination of prosecution witnesses, the judge ruled that the evidence was insufficient to prove the offence of criminal damage by the defendants.
The judge is to give his reasons at a later date.
The case has been reported in national media: BBC News, The Guardian, Sky News, The Telegraph, Northern Echo
