Insulate Britain protester jailed for stopping traffic on M4

An Insulate Britain protester has been jailed for 5 weeks for obstructing the motorway, causing immense disruption.

About 10,000 drivers were affected by the actions of Stephen Pritchard, from Bath, and 3 others connected the M4 adjacent Heathrow, westbound London, successful October 2021.

The defendants glued themselves to the tarmac adjacent Junction 3 stopping postulation travel successful some directions for 2 hours.

At Inner London Crown Court, 63-year-old Pritchard was convicted by a assemblage of causing a nuisance to the public.

His co-defendants, erstwhile probation serviceman Ruth Cook, 71, gardener Roman Paluch-Machnik, 29, and carpenter Oliver Rock, 42, were each fixed six-week sentences, suspended for 18 months.

The 3 were besides ordered to bash 100 hours of assemblage service.

Judge Silas Reid told Pritchard, a erstwhile parish councillor, that helium was being jailed due to the fact that helium antecedently told the tribunal that helium would not halt taking portion successful disruptive action, arsenic a substance of "conscience".

The different defendants antecedently said they had been deterred from aboriginal disruptive protestation action.

Judge Reid told Pritchard: "It is not due for maine to suspend the inevitable sentence... you volition service up to fractional of your condemnation successful prison."

Speaking to each 4 defendants, helium said: "None of you person shown immoderate remorse for your actions and successful information deterioration them with pride."

Last month, Pritchard received a a abbreviated jailhouse sentence for defying a tribunal bid that prevented him and 4 others from protesting connected the M25.

High Court injunctions were enactment successful spot aft Insulate Britain's roadworthy blockades past year.