A FORMER police officer was among two south Cumbrian Insulate Britain supporters found guilty of causing a public nuisance.

Tony Hill, a former police officer, paratrooper and parish councillor, from Burneside and Bryan Burrow, 68, a retired therapist from Kendal, were convicted of causing a public nuisance in the Insulate Britain roadblock at Bishopsgate in London on October 25, 2021. 

Mr Hill, 72, said: “This was my first and only court case in my life. As a former police officer and parish councillor, I have utterly lost faith, respect and trust in the government.”

This is the tenth trial relating to Insulate Britain’s 2021 campaign of civil resistance demanding that the government Insulate Britain’s cold and leaky homes. 

Mr Burrow said: “In my trial I was unable to mention climate change, insulation or fuel poverty as well as many other things like record prices for heating our homes, that were the real motivation behind our actions. I swore to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I was not allowed to, as telling the truth is contempt of court, which would land me in prison. I am happy that I tried to spread the message of Insulating Britain. We have broken the law to spread this message."

They were on trial with Benjamin Taylor from Manchester and Matthew Tulley from West
Yorkshire.

After a five-day hearing, the jury took one hour to return a unanimous guilty verdict.

All four will appear for sentencing on March 31 and have 28 days to appeal the conviction. 

Judge Silas Reid ruled that the four defendants could not refer to their motivations for blocking the road in their defence. The defendants were each barred from referring to the climate crisis, insulation or fuel poverty during the trial.

Last week another two Insulate Britain supporters were jailed for seven weeks after being found in contempt of court and refusing to apologise for telling a jury that fuel poverty and the climate crisis had motivated them to join the 2021 roadblock campaign.