A KILBIRNIE man has been found guilty of causing a public nuisance during an Insulate Britain protest in Dover.

Gardener Ben Taylor and eight co-defendents are now awaiting sentence after stopping traffic at the port on September 24, 2021.

It was the 17th Crown Court trial resulting from Insulate Britain’s 2021 campaign of nonviolent civil resistance undertaken to demand the UK government insulate Britain’s homes. 

Taylor, 28, was on trial at Hove Crown Court with Gwen Harrison, 45, from Cumbria, Emily Brocklebank, 24, from Leeds, Dr Benjamin Buse, 37, from Somerset, David Crawford, 69, from Surrey, Di Hekt, 68, from Huddersfield, Dr David ‘Bing’ Jones, 70, from Sheffield, Martin Newell, 55, from London and Theresa Norton, 64, from Scarborough.

The defendants on trial spoke of their motivations for taking action, including fuel poverty, carbon emissions and the climate crisis. However, a time limit of 15 minutes was imposed by the court for this.

After deliberating for around eight hours the jury returned a majority verdict of guilty.

The defendants will appear for sentencing later this month and the maximum penalty for the common law offence of public nuisance is life imprisonment. 

Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald: Ben Taylor was found guilty

Speaking after the verdict, Taylor said: “I find it very disturbing and saddening that two years after we sat in the road, with the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis getting worse, no significant action has yet been taken to do this basic first step of insulating Britain’s homes. These two critical problems are not going away.”

“This kind of response to dealing with people protesting is typical of a scared and incompetent government. I say this because not only is this case a legal issue, but it is a deeply political one.

"And more than this, it is a humanitarian issue. Our government seems to be either totally lacking in imagination, or are just purely, knowingly and willingly, ignoring the desperate problems that are affecting millions of people in this country.”

In the sixteen Insulate Britain jury trials for public nuisance charges to date, four trials have resulted in a hung jury, two trials have resulted in acquittals, seven have resulted in a guilty verdict and three have been deferred. 

Three people have been jailed since February for defying an order banning defendants from speaking about their motivations, fuel poverty or the climate crisis.

A further six have been sent to prison after pledging to continue in civil resistance despite being found guilty of public nuisance.