Greenpeace activists charged with criminal damage after protest at PM’s home

Police have charged three protesters with criminal damage after Greenpeace activists draped the Prime Minister’s constituency home with anti-oil and gas banners last year.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it had reviewed evidence provided by North Yorkshire Police following the protest at Rishi Sunak’s home in Kirby Sigston near Northallerton on August 3.

The CPS has now authorised that Mathieu Soete, 38, Amy Rugg-Easey, 33, and Alexandra Wilson, 32, may be charged with a single count of criminal damage.

North Yorkshire Police then confirmed the three have been charged.

They will appear at York Magistrates’ Court on March 21.

A fourth person is yet to answer bail.

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS special crime division, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the three defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.

“It is extremely important there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

At the time of the protest, Greenpeace said that no damage was caused to the property and they had chosen to carry it out when the Prime Minister and his family were on holiday in California.

After the charging decision was announced, Greenpeace UK political campaigner, Ami McCarthy, said: “After being under investigation for six months, our activists have now been charged with criminal damage for holding a completely peaceful protest.

“We look forward to disputing the charges and the insufficient grounds on which they are based.

“The protest took place at one of Sunak’s several houses, and great care was taken to make sure it was staged while the family were holidaying in California and therefore not even in the country.

“This was a fact that had been widely reported in the news in the run up to the protest.”