Just Stop Oil supporters sprayed Stonehenge with orange powder, court told

Two Just Stop Oil supporters sprayed the prehistoric Stonehenge stones with orange powder as part of an environmental protest, a court was told.

Rajan Naidu, 74, and Oxford University student Niamh Lynch, 22, are accused of using two fire extinguishers filled with cornflour, talc and an orange dye to spray the monument.

Salisbury Crown Court was told the pair – together with a third supporter Luke Watson, 36 – targeted Stonehenge as part of an ongoing fossil fuel protest by the Just Stop Oil group.

The three defendants each deny charges of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance.

Simon Jones, prosecuting, told the jury: “This case concerns the actions of three Just Stop Oil protesters at Stonehenge on June 19 last year.

“The prosecution say that these defendants all committed acts of causing damage to an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance that day.

“Stonehenge is arguably the best recognised and architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world, built around 5,000 years ago.

“The site in Wiltshire is visited by members of the public from all over the world, providing both an education and spiritual experience.

“The stones are a protected ancient monument.”

Describing events that day, Mr Jones told the jury that both Naidu and Lynch crossed the boundary ropes and trespassed into the area around the monument before launching the attack.

“They were armed with fire extinguishers containing an orange powder consisting of cornflour and talc that was stained with a highly fluorescent synthetic orange dye,” he said.

“That substance was sprayed over stones by both those defendants.”

Mr Jones said Watson had driven his co-accused to Stonehenge that morning and had also “encouraged them in these acts”.

“Now they will inevitably say that this was done as an act of protest and in order to bring publicity to the cause and the demand they made of the Government to commit to ending new fossil fuel licensing,” he said.

“However, by deliberately targeting these stones and causing the damage they did in order to seek to bring attention to that cause, the prosecution say that their actions created a risk of or cause serious harm to a section of the public.”

Mr Jones said that “serious harm” had a specific legal meaning and meant that it needed to cause “serious distress, serious annoyance or serious inconvenience”.

The court was told that Just Stop Oil had “carefully planned” the incident.

“Online videos have been prepared by Just Stop Oil to be released. In other words, they were ready,” Mr Jones said.

The jury was told Watson had left north-west London that morning and driven to the Oxfordshire area in a Ford Fiesta, and later all three were seen on CCTV arriving at the monument together.

“Putting it simply, we say they were all in it together, and Mr Naidu and Miss Lynch then collect their wristbands, and they were carrying large rucksacks,” he said.

“Video footage then showed how both Mr Naidu and Miss Lynch had removed fire extinguishers from their rucksacks.

“They step over the rope cordon, and they move towards the stones.

“Both are very determined in what happens next as they spray the stones with an orange substance released from the fire extinguishers.

“They aim directly at the stones whilst at close proximity.

“The prosecution say that this is an act of blatant and clear vandalism. The intention is undoubtedly to make a statement.”

Mr Jones told the jury they would hear from several members of English Heritage staff who were on duty at the monument that day and who confronted Naidu and Lynch.

“The police were duly called and when they arrived, Mr Naidu and Miss Lynch were still sitting down next to the stones,” he said.

“Officers attempted to engage with them, and they didn’t respond.”

The pair, who were both wearing white Just Stop Oil t-shirts, were arrested and forensic examination of one of the fire extinguishers provided a DNA link to Watson, the court was told.

The incident happened the day before the summer solstice where around 15,000 people were due to gather and celebrate.

“There were concerns that if the substance got wet it would become caked on the stones, creating a paste,” Mr Jones said.

“The fact that the monument was targeted the day before the summer solstice, the prosecution says is also relevant, that event marks for many the start of summer.

“There’s clearly a pressing need to remove the orange substance from the stones in advance of that event.

“No doubt but for the prompt cleaning there would have been a considerable amount of orange colouring the following day for those wishing to gather at the site.”

Mr Jones said the cost of cleaning the stones was £620.

After being arrested Naidu told police the powder would have “blown away in the wind” and was “totally safe and utterly harmless”, the court heard.

Lynch told officers she was protesting about the burning of fossil fuels and accepted she had crossed the boundary rope but stated it was not her intention to commit criminal damage, the court heard.

Watson, who was arrested days later, made no comment to the questions he was asked.

Naidu, of Gosford Street, Birmingham; Lynch, of Norfolk Road, Turvey, Bedford; and Watson, of The Street, Manuden, Essex, each deny charges of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance.

The trial continues.