A Just Stop Oil protester accused of criminal damage after orange paint was sprayed on to the iconic Wellington Arch monument is facing a 16-month wait for his trial thanks to chronic court delays.
Joseph Hogan, 40, appeared in the dock at Southwark crown court on Thursday to deny the criminal charge over the stunt on October 25. Smoke flares were also set off alongside the Grade I-listed monument, which is nearly 200 years old, while it is alleged fire extinguishers were used to spray orange paint on to the façade. The incident happened during a wave of protests by Just Stop Oil around London, including pitch invasions at Wimbledon and Lords.
Judge Christopher Hehir set the case down for a three-day trial starting on March 31, 2025, before turning to the defendant to explain the lengthy delay.
"It could be worse", said the judge. "We are setting some bail cases down for trial in 2026."
Hogan is charged alongside Lucy Marie Timlin, 44, who did not turn up for the court hearing.
Hogan denied the charge of damaging property, being accused of “damaging Wellington Arch belonging to English Heritage” while intending to cause damage or being reckless as to whether damage was done.
He ordered solicitors to contact Timlin, who lives in Manchester, and tell her about the trial date.
The court was told she may have travelled to London in advance of the hearing, but may have fallen ill.
Hogan, from Stevenage, was set free again on bail on the conditions that he does not enter the M25 area. A bail condition for him to live at his home was removed by the judge.
A pre-trial review has been set for January 31, 2025.
Crown courts across the country are struggling with severe delays while handling a backlog of more than 65,000 cases.
The backlog was allowed to grow before the pandemic during a period of cost-cutting, it was super-charged by Covid and court closures, and has continued to increase as pandemic pressures and restrictions have eased.
Two-year delays for trials involving defendants on bail are now commonplace within the criminal justice system, as trials involving defendants being held in prison are prioritised.
