A MAN has been handed a jail sentence after a group of This Is Rigged protesters occupied the Grangemouth oil refinery.
On July 19, 2023, 19 activists from This Is Rigged blocked the gates at the oil refinery and disabled a car park full of tankers, while another four – Lewis Conroy, Sam Griffiths, Greg Sculthorpe and Jack Rennie – climbed onto the roof of the facility and occupied the pipework.
The four activists who climbed on to the roof pled guilty to charges of reckless and culpable conduct in January, and they appeared in Falkirk Sheriff Court for sentencing on Friday morning.
Sculthorpe and Rennie both received 300 hours of community service, and have both been placed on electronic tags for six months. Conroy received 200 hours of community service.
Meanwhile, Griffiths was handed a 16-month custodial sentence.
All four activists were also given two year supervision orders.
Speaking about why he took action, Griffiths said: "I was scared about protesting at Grangemouth refinery. I was more terrified about what fossil fuelled climate collapse will mean for my son.
"This and other actions show it is possible for ordinary people to stop oil, if only for a matter of hours. It is symbolic of what we need to do as a society to protect our children and their future.
"It's a privilege to be judged by a jury of ordinary people. We all have a choice, to do what we're told, or to act in line with our conscience."
