Fury as Just Stop Oil co-founder and five other eco activists have their protest prison terms cut

THE co-founder of Just Stop Oil and five other eco activists had their prison terms reduced yesterday.

Roger Hallam, 58, was jailed for five years last year for plotting chaos on the M25.

He and his group took their cases to the Court of Appeal — calling the terms “manifestly excessive”.

Yesterday, three judges agreed the sentences should be shortened.

Hallam’s was reduced to four years.

Co-conspirators Daniel Shaw, 38, and Louise Lancaster, 58, had theirs cut from four years to three.

The terms of Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, 35, and Cressida Gethin, 22, were lowered from four years to 30 months.

Gaie Delap, who climbed a gantry over the M25 at the age of 75, was previously jailed for 20 months.

Her sentence was cut to 18 months because the judge had not taken into account the onerous bail conditions she had faced.

Ten other appeals — linked to JSO protests including throwing soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting — were dismissed.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted: “These people deserve long prison sentences.

“We should be sending a message that in this country we decide things through debate and democratic process, not acts of mindless vandalism and deliberate disruption.”

Raj Chada, for the JSO protesters, hit back: “No country in Europe gives such draconian sentences for peaceful protests, proving we are out of kilter with the rest of the civilised world.”

JSO Lawyers said they may take the dismissed cases to the Supreme Court.

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