Three climate change protesters have been found guilty of aggravated trespass after they threw orange powder on the pitch at Lord’s cricket ground.
The Just Stop Oil protest carried out by Judit Murray, 69, Daniel Knorr, 21, and Jacob Bourne, 27, stopped play during the Ashes series match between England and Australia on June 28.
The protestors ran onto the pitch and threw an orange powder at the cricket club in St John's Wood .
The trio, who said they wanted to create headlines for their stunt and did not want to cause disruption or damage the pitch, were found guilty yesterday (September 28) after a trial at the City of London Magistrates’ Court.
England player Jonny Bairstow carried Knorr off the pitch, while Murray was tackled before she could reach the wicket and held down on the grass.
Champagne corks and fruit were thrown by cricket fans at Bourne as he was led off the field.
District judge Neeta Minhas said she was satisfied the trio had breached the well-publicised rules which state that ticket-holders cannot trespass, go on to the field of play or stage demonstrations.
Murray, of Plough Road, West Ewell, Surrey; Knorr, of Green Street, Oxford; and Bourne, of Moorland Road, Hyde Park, Leeds, were conditionally bailed ahead of being sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 24.
The judge, who said “the aim was to cause disruption to the game”, added: “I am satisfied the three of them proactively did trespass on private property which was a playing field, that you disrupted or intended to disrupt a legal activity."
The court heard there are many signs at Lord's and loudspeaker messages which warn ticket-holders they are not allowed to go on to the field of play.
In giving evidence, Knorr described how he ran in a straight line “heart-racing” on to the pitch and then tried to have a chat with Bairstow as the player carried him away.
He told the court: “It was not a surprise that I was intercepted. It was a bit of a surprise that it was one of the cricket players."
Knorr said that his aim was to get headlines, adding: “Lord’s is known as the home of cricket and the Ashes are one of, if not the most famous, contests – so it was going to have a national and international audience. The potential was going to be massive.”
Reporting by PA.
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