Insulate Britain supporter Revd Mark Coleman jailed for vowing to continue in civil resistance

Insulate Britain supporter Reverend Mark Coleman has been jailed for public nuisance after telling court he planned to continue in civil resistance until the government decarbonises the UK housing stock and halts new oil and gas developments.

Reverend Coleman, 63, a retired vicar from Rochdale, and six other protestors appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Thursday (20 April) for sentencing.

During the hearing, Judge Reid questioned the seven being sentenced about their future intentions and in particular asked whether they intended to continue in civil resistance.

He indicated that this would determine whether a suspended or a custodial sentence should be given.

Reverend Mark Coleman and one other protestor declared that they would continue in civil resistance and were given custodial prison sentences of five weeks each, of which they will serve half before being released.

Reverend Coleman was also ordered to pay £3,500 in costs.

Speaking to the court, the Reverend said: “I want to state that I acted to protect human life, to draw attention to the death and destruction caused by rising emissions and the impact of cold damp homes on the health of the citizens of our country.

“I had learned of the effects of fuel poverty when I worked for the charity Age Concern in the 1980s.

“Later, in the Liverpool and Rochdale parishes where I served as parish priest, I saw the misery caused by these uninsulated homes and the fuel poverty and debt that often ensues.

“In the ordination service priests are told that they should ‘resist evil, support the weak, defend the poor, and intercede for all in need’.

“For me of course, it has moral authority. Poor people are more likely to die prematurely. I have tried to be true to my ordination vows. I see it as part of my vocation as a priest, to continue to resist until the government acts.

“I expect that this civil resistance will involve sitting on the public highway again.”

Liam Norton, 38, an electrician and spokesperson for the Insulate Britain campaign said: “The courts are proving themselves to be morally bankrupt and complicit in the breakdown of law and order in the UK.

“The British Justice system no longer has legitimacy in our eyes whatsoever. Sending pensioners to prison rather than accepting that civil resistance is both vital to ensure our lives, economy, pensions, properties and communities survive.

“For Judge Reid to say, in his opinion, ‘the net effect of all these protests is zero’ is both inaccurate and historically illiterate. Our supporters have risked their liberty time and time again to demand the government end fuel poverty and decarbonises the UK housing stock, and since our campaign both the government and the opposition have pledged to ‘Insulate Britain’.”

As with all the Insulate Britain public nuisance trials at Inner London Crown Court, those sentenced were subject to Judge Reid’s gagging order during their trial.

Reid’s ruling prevents Insulate Britain supporters from mentioning fuel poverty, the climate crisis or civil resistance when defending their actions in front of the jury.

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

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has applied for retrials in the two cases where the jury failed to reach a majority verdict.

The current rate of successful convictions of Insulate Britain supporters brought to trial for a charge of public nuisance is 50%.

The CPS has chosen to summon a total of 56 supporters to answer at least 201 charges of public nuisance across at least 45 jury trials the last of which is scheduled to begin on 4 December 2023.

These trials are planned to be heard across Inner London, Hove, Lewes and Reading Crown Courts and Insulate Britain estimates will take up at least 1,462 hours of court time at a cost of over £1 million.