Statement from Green Cllr Mick Dunk, representing Frome West on Somerset Council:-
On Tuesday November 8th 2022 at about 7am I climbed onto a gantry over the M25. I tied a large banner onto the gantry which read “Just Stop Oil”. A short time later the police closed off the traffic passing under the gantry.
This was not an action that I took lightly but in October of 2022 the government had decided to issue a lot more oil and gas exploration licences for the North Sea. All the scientific evidence suggested that this policy would have made it impossible for the UK to meet our Climate Change target to remain below 1.5 Degrees warming.
Any ‘reasonable’ person would want to prevent extreme global warming in order to protect future generations and allow them to have a future. Even if I did not have children and grandchildren, I would have taken that action as my conscience would not allow me to stand back and do nothing.
The JSO gantry protest I was involved in lasted for 4 days. I did cause some disruption. The safety of the traveling public was my first consideration. I was arrested, removed from the gantry and charged with Causing a Public Nuisance.
I was refused bail and sent to HMP Wandsworth where I shared a cell with another gantry protester. Luckily, I was released on a tag with curfew conditions after 8 days whereas my much younger cell mate was kept in for over 6 weeks. He was suffering from Climate Anxiety; a term I had never heard before.
My Crown Court trial was scheduled for 22nd September 2025, nearly 3 years after the alleged offence.
My trial with 5 other defendants took place over 2 weeks and Judge Perrins dismissed all the defences we wanted to use and ruled that the jury were only to decide if we had caused disruption on the day. Any evidence we gave on Climate Change as our motivation was ruled inadmissible in our summing up and the jury were not to consider it. The Prosecution Barrister would not allow any Climate Change facts in the ‘Agreed Facts’ given to the jury. We were all found guilty.
Another gantry trial weeks earlier at Guildford Crown Court where 3 defendants climbed gantries on the following day to us was completely different. The Judge allowed the defence of ‘Reasonable Excuse’, the Prosecution Barrister allowed 12 Agreed Climate Change facts to be in front of the jury and the the Jury decided they were all Not Guilty. Such are the variations in our legal system.
Today December 5th, I was given a 2 years and 2 months jail sentence, plus costs of £4380. Four of the six defendants received similar sentences with two given suspended sentences.
The Government rules on Councillor conduct specify that: I am prevented from remaining a Councillor if I have “been convicted of any offence and have received a sentence of imprisonment, suspended or not, for a period of not less than three months without the option of a fine”. MP’s have to stand down if they get a sentence or suspended of 12 months.
I am sadly therefore unable to continue representing those who elected me but I consider that I acted in their best interests. I made a stand against a government policy that was at best ill judged but at worst a cynical policy to keep the oil & gas lobby happy, ensuring further donations to help keep them in power.
There is some comfort in knowing that this present Government has promised to not allow any new exploration licences in the North Sea and we have to hope that promise is kept, despite pressure from the fossil fuel industry and their spokespeople in the Conservative and Reform parties.
We are in a Climate Emergency and have to act like it, it is impossible to overstate the seriousness of our situation. I want to thank all the Council Officers, Councillors who are doing all they can to reduce our emissions in very difficult financial circumstances.
Cllr Shane Collins, co Chair of Frome Area Green Party added ‘I am shocked and appalled at the severity of Cllr Dunk’s sentence, especially when defendants in other court cases for similar offences were found not guilty having been allowed to mention the climate emergency to the jury.
History tells us that peaceful direct action is needed to push politicians into action, without which women would not have the vote, apartheid would remain in South Africa, British workers would not have union rights and African Americans would not have civil rights.
Mick Dunk is courageous and right to do all he can to stop us falling into the abyss of a collapsing climate.’
Cllr Helen Kay, another Green Party Cllr in Frome says: ‘Mick is a personal friend and I am devastated at this news. He is one of the kindest, most considerate people I know, and a reliable council colleague, taking his responsibilities very seriously. He took this direct action out of the same sense of care and responsibility for the planet. I went to court with Mick a few times and was angered to hear the judge tell the jury they should not research anything to do with climate change or fossil fuels, nor would he permit the idea of a ‘reasonable response’ to a climate emergency to be considered as a defence.
We will be organizing a fundraiser to pay his fine, so please contact me if you can help.”
Martin Dimery his co-divisional Cllr added “Mick is highly principled, yet understanding and tolerant to others, regardless of their beliefs. Tragically, this sentence means he can no longer continue as a Green Party councillor. He has been a conscientious and well informed colleague, always willing to help others and going beyond the call of duty.
This sentence appears draconian and spiteful. Other judges in similar cases have been far more lenient. The outcome was arguably pre-determined by the judge in refusing defendants the right to attempt to justify their actions. He even ordered the jury not to research climate change before making their decision.
At a time when prisons are overflowing and early release granted to sometimes violent criminals, it is impossible not to conclude that this sentence is politically motivated. Mick and his co-defendants have been made an example of. Meanwhile, successive governments continue to ingratiate themselves to those who are destroying the planet. I know many of his colleagues at Somerset Council, like us, will be devastated.”
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