Brighton 'Insulate Britain' Supporter Jailed For Crawley Court Graffiti

Thursday, 9 June 2022 06:00

By Jade McLean

A tutor from Brighton has been jailed for two weeks for spray painting the front of Crawley Magistrates' Court with the words 'Insulate Britain' in April.

Judge Liang ruled that 58-year-old Venetia Carter deserved a custodial sentence, not because of her beliefs but because she committed criminal damage.

She said spray painting the wall at the front of the court was "an attack on the rule of law".

After spray painting the wall with temporary chalk spray, Mrs Carter was arrested at the scene and charged with criminal damage, for which she was later sentenced to two weeks in Bronzefield prison.

Her appeal against the two-week sentenced failed today.

According to a campaign spokesperson, Mrs Carter commented:

"I'm deeply disappointed that the Judge has failed to recognise that society is at extreme risk of collapse and that the campaign that Insulate Britain undertook was to uphold the rule of law. Along with other Insulate Britain supporters I am upholding the fundamental right to life in the face of the government's deadly inaction on the climate crisis".

She added:

“Now that so many of us are suffering with the cost of living crisis, practical Government financial support for insulation is needed more than ever. When our homes are insulated, we can use less fuel to stay warm, keeping our fuel bills down in the long term. This makes so much more sense than one-off government handouts. And the less fuel we use, the less carbon will be emitted.

“We all know the climate crisis is a global issue, but the UK could show the way. Instead, our government is allowing new oil and gas fields to be developed. That’s madness.

“Despite the risk of prison, I cannot stand by while the government fails to face up to the threat of climate collapse that threatens everything we know and love.

"I would rather go back to prison than fail to do what I can to push for real and urgent action on the climate crisis. I hope that in future courts will rule that prisons aren’t the right place for ordinary people who are standing up for urgent action on climate."