Just Stop Oil protesters lose Supreme Court appeal
They were jailed for scaling the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing last October.
Last updated 11th Oct 2023
Two Just Stop Oil protesters jailed over a bridge protest in Kent have lost a bid to challenge their sentences at the Supreme Court.
They were jailed for using ropes and other climbing gear to scale the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing last October.
The men eventually came down at about 5.30pm on October 18 with the help of police and a crane - but the bride was not reopened to traffic until later.
In July, 40 year-old Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker - who's 34 - lost an appeal over what their lawyers said were the "extraordinary length" of their sentences - three years and two years and seven months respectively.
Judges have refused to grant permission for the two men to take their case to the UK's highest court.
Essex Police said those affected by the disruption included a "heavily pregnant woman who needed urgent medical help".
Another person missed the funeral of their best friend of 35 years, the force said, and a business lost more than £160,000 in earnings.
In April, a jury unanimously found Trowland and Decker guilty of causing a public nuisance.
Just Stop Oil previously said sentencing Judge Shane Collery KC was "trying to set a precedent" and "deter people".
The environmental campaign group said Decker, a German citizen who it said has leave to remain in the UK, faces deportation after serving his sentence.
Trowland has six previous convictions relating to protests, while Decker has one, with lawyers for the pair previously saying they would not take part in further disruptive protests.