Just Stop Oil: Pair guilty of damaging Van Gogh painting's frame

Two Just Stop Oil protesters person been recovered blameworthy of causing transgression harm to a Vincent Van Gogh painting's framework aft gluing themselves to it.

Louis McKechnie, 22, and Emily Brocklebank, 23, caused astir £2,000 of harm to the framework of Peach Trees In Blossom astatine London's Courtauld Gallery.

McKechnie, from Weymouth, was jailed for 3 weeks portion Brocklebank received a suspended sentence.

She had said: "I didn't deliberation I would origin overmuch damage. Glue comes off."

There person been respective akin protests by clime activists successful caller weeks.

District Judge Neeta Minhas said the harm caused astatine the Courtauld Gallery was "substantial".

Giving her verdict astatine Westminster Magistrates' Court, she said: "An 18th Century framework which is hundreds of years aged has been permanently damaged.

"It is not successful a authorities wherever it tin instrumentality to its archetypal state."

She added that the coating had "significant, humanities and creation value" and that the harm was "not minor, insignificant, impermanent oregon trivial".

Brocklebank, from Yeadon successful Leeds, received a 21-day sentence, suspended for six months, and was made the taxable of an electronically monitored six-week curfew.

Xavier Gonzales-Trimmer, 21, primitively faced the aforesaid complaint aft being accused of "distracting the guards", but this was dropped. However, helium was fined for failing to look astatine tribunal for an earlier hearing.