A climate change activist from Stirling was placed on curfew for his “terrifying” actions at the Grangemouth oil refinery.
Lewis Conroy, 23, from Stirling, was one of a This Is Rigged group who appeared in court after a pair of incursions by protesters into the plant.
One of his co-accused – graphic designer Samual Griffiths, 49 – was jailed.
High-risk picnic
Conroy, Jack Rennie, 31, from Sussex and 38-year-old Gregory Sculthorpe from Doncaster got into the Ineos plant and climbed onto the facility early in the morning as a tanker was arriving to collect petrol for Tesco on July 19.
They refused to descend, despite repeated requests from police and plant employees, risking causing damage to pipes and the discharge of hazardous substances, exposing the public to the risk of injury and harm.
Some of the group had jammed their feet into the gates and several ran into the facility.
Fiscal depute Lucy Clarke told Falkirk Sheriff Court the tanker driver was “terrified”.
All fuel-dispensing pumps at the plant were immediately shut down and a supervisor tried to talk to Conroy, Rennie and Sculthorpe, as they began climbing up to a gantry, telling them the pipework was not suitable for their weight and warning of high voltage cables nearby.
Miss Clarke said: “The pipes carry fuel. They rolled out a banner and began eating food they had brought.”
Miss Clarke said the supervisor noted the protestors “seemed relaxed” while the supervisor “was in fear for his own life and the lives of his colleagues”.
Police arrived and put a containment round the structures and specialist officers spent hours negotiating.
Rennie and Sculthorpe eventually came down but Conroy had to be removed by rope access officers.
When searched, was found to have a mobile telephone – banned on the site because they pose an ignition risk.
Second incursion
The incident was followed on July 29 2023 by a second This Is Rigged incursion.
Police carrying out patrols realised Griffiths and Rennie, wearing climbing harnesses, had scaled a gate and climbed 20-to-30 feet onto pipework used to transport vapour round the plant.
The pair were warned not to place weight on the pipes as they were not loadbearing.
Griffiths chained himself to one of the pipes, while Rennie put a chain round his neck and padlocked himself to another.
Both had to be brought down by a police rope access team.
Griffiths, from Walthamstow, London, had a heavy metal chain, a quantity of small flags, a rucksack of camping equipment and a notebook with handwritten message in it that read: “I came here to do my bit to stop the flow of oil and highlight Grangemouth.”
All four men pled guilty to culpable and reckless endangerment.
‘Terrifying’
Solicitor Ryan Sloan, for Rennie, said: “Despite the intentions and moral convictions of all four, they are very well aware these are serious matters.
“There was never any intention of causing danger to others.”
Jailing Griffiths for 16 months, Sheriff Maryam Labaki said a background report stated he did not regret his actions and he had an established pattern of offending that was escalating in seriousness. He was on bail at the time.
She said: “Notwithstanding your beliefs, you disregarded the safety of others by ignoring the staff explaining the dangers you were placing them and others and yourselves in.”
Speaking of the incidents overall, the sheriff said: “It is a dangerous place.
“If one is to fight for the greater good, the greater good includes compassion and care for your fellow man, for the general public and this is terrifying.”
Rennie, Conroy and Sculthorpe were placed on supervision for two years, and made subject to six-month curfews.
Rennie and Sculthorpe were also sentenced to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work, and Conroy 200 hours.
On the public benches, supporters of the accused clapped and jeered as Griffiths was handcuffed to a guard and led to the cells.
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