Just Stop Oil pair guilty of Constable masterpiece damage

Two Just Stop Oil protesters person been recovered blameworthy of causing transgression harm to a John Constable masterpiece.

Eben Lazarus, 22, and Hannah Hunt, 23, some from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, taped a "dystopian version" of The Hay Wain connected to the archetypal artwork connected 4 July.

They past glued their hands to its framework successful The National Gallery, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

Prosecutor Jonathan Bryan KC said the coating was restored and fitted with a solid expanse earlier it was re-exhibited.

The protesters told the tribunal they had made "a deliberate effort" to debar damaging Constable's painting.

The archetypal masterpiece, which was painted successful 1821, shows a agrarian Suffolk country of a wagon returning to the fields for different load.

Mr Bryan described the coating arsenic "a nationalist treasure".

"Important works of creation which signifier portion of a nation's practice request to beryllium protected," helium added.

The tribunal heard the protesters taped 3 printed posters connected the artwork.

CCTV footage, which showed Lazarus and Hunt gluing themselves to the painting's framework portion wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts, was played successful court.

It besides showed them making statements connected camera, earlier they were arrested.

The tribunal heard The Hay Wain was not itself affected but the varnish connected apical and the surrounding framework suffered damage.

Mr Bryan work retired a connection from the caput of conservation astatine the gallery, Larry Keith, which said the coating was restored astatine a outgo of £1,081.

Giving evidence, Lazarus and Hunt claimed they enlisted proposal from an creation adept who told them "low tack tape" and a tiny magnitude of glue would not origin harm to the coating oregon its frame.

Hunt besides said she aimed to "inspire others", suggesting she "brought hope" to a radical of schoolchildren who she said had clapped and cheered successful the assemblage astatine the extremity of her nationalist address.

The brace besides argued that Articles 10 and 11 nether the European Convention of Human Rights - the rights to state of look and state of assembly respectively - gave them lawful excuse for their actions, but this was rejected.

District Judge Daniel Sternberg said the harm was "significant not trivial" and that the defendants "were reckless" and caused it "without lawful excuse".

They volition beryllium sentenced astatine a aboriginal date.