Six protesters involved in the first lap break-in at last year’s British Grand Prix have been convicted after a two-week trial.
Prosecutors said members of Just Stop Oil’s environmental campaign group, five of whom lingered briefly on the track during the race, risked “serious harm” to the F1 drivers and marshals who had to drag them off the track.
Emily Brocklebank, 24, Alasdair Gibson, 22, Louis McKechnie, 22, Bethany Maugee, 40, and Joshua Smith, 29, hit the track while a sixth person, 47-year-old David Baldwin, was found in a nearby car park with glue. , cable ties and Just Stop Oil banner.
Luckily, the Formula One cars slowed down significantly by the time they reached the protesters because there were red flags for a multi-car incident at Turn 1 in which Guangyu Zhou’s Alfa Romeo jumped tire barriers.
All six protesters denied causing harm to the public and denied the prosecution’s claims that they created a risk of harm to themselves, drivers and F1 marshals at the event.
The jury deliberated for two days before returning with a verdict on Friday afternoon.
The protesters will be sentenced on March 31.
Source: www.espn.com
