Two Just Stop Oil activists guilty of criminal damage to two planes tied to plan to target Taylor Swift's jet

Two Just Stop Oil activists have been found guilty of criminal damage after breaching Stansted Airport’s perimeter and spraying orange paint on two planes, prosecutors said. Jennifer Kowalski, 29, and Cole Macdonald, 23, were convicted by a Chelmsford Crown Court jury of spraying aircraft with paint drawn from fire extinguishers on June 20 last year and later sat hand-in-hand as police arrived at the scene. Kowalski is from Dumbarton, Scotland, and Macdonald from Brighton, East Sussex. Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before delivering unanimous verdicts.

Prosecutors described how the pair cut through a perimeter fence at the Harrods Aviation area of Stansted with an angle grinder, then took turns spraying two aircraft with orange paint and filming the act. They had intended to target Taylor Swift’s chartered private jet, prosecutors said, but the planes they vandalised belonged to an insurance company and an investment group. Judge Alexander Mills said there was “no dispute” the defendants caused the damage by spraying the aircraft with paint from a fire extinguisher. The incident occurred as Swift was in London for her Eras tour concerts at Wembley Stadium.

During the trial, jurors heard the defendants planned to target Swift’s jet to push her to speak out about climate change. Kowalski told the court she started as a fan, describing herself as a Swiftie, but said she later questioned Swift’s actions on climate issues. Macdonald said the idea behind focusing on Swift was that she is “very famous” and has faced public criticism for jet usage. The pair said they launched the raid at around 5 a.m. to avoid disrupting holidaymakers or workers.

The paint penetrated screw holes and window rubbers, and removing it required about 45 hours of work spread across several days. A professional aircraft cleaner, Zoe Varzi, said the substance could have caused an uneven surface texture and potentially affected aerodynamics if not removed correctly, with the cleaning process overseen by a Gulfstream engineer.

Macdonald has no prior convictions, while Kowalski has two: one for breach of the peace in 2022 and another for failing to leave when directed by a senior officer in 2023. The earlier charge involved throwing paint at a government building during another climate protest, while the later charge related to remaining at an oil terminal occupation despite being told to leave. Both defendants were bailed until sentencing at Chelmsford Crown Court on October 27, where pre-sentence reports will be prepared for consideration.