Two Just Stop Oil activists on trial over orange paint sprayed on private jets at Stansted

Two activists affiliated with Just Stop Oil went on trial at Chelmsford Crown Court accused of cutting into Stansted Airport and spraying orange paint on two private jets, a court heard Wednesday.

Prosecutors told jurors that Jennifer Kowalski, 29, and Cole Macdonald, 23, gained access to the airside area on June 20 last year, used paint loaded into fire extinguishers to spray two privately owned aircraft and then sat hand in hand on a taxiway. The alleged action occurred hours after a private jet chartered by singer Taylor Swift landed at the Essex airport as she was in London for concerts at Wembley Stadium.

Opening the case, prosecutor David Barr said the pair had cut through a perimeter fence on the north side of the runway and walked to the area in front of several private hangars, including a hangar rented by Harrods Aviation. Jurors were shown photographs and video evidence provided by the defendants, Mr. Barr told the court.

A member of staff identified as Jade Care, the duty operations controller, alerted ramp worker Rob Careless after spotting the two on the taxiway, the court was told. Careless reported seeing the defendants spraying paint, and airport police arrived and arrested the pair by 5:18 a.m. Mr. Barr said the defendants were detained after being seen spraying at about 5:05 a.m. on June 20.

Ground staff initially used water to try to remove the orange paint, but the prosecutor said the substance could only be removed with an aviation-approved aircraft cleaning chemical. Staff spent a total of 45 hours over several days cleaning the aircraft, jurors were told.

Kowalski, from Dumbarton and described in court as a former sustainability manager, and Macdonald, from Brighton, have both pleaded not guilty to causing criminal damage. Both gave "no comment" answers during police interviews, the court heard. The pair were said to have posted images and video of the incident on social media.

In her opening remarks, defence lawyer Laura O’Brien told jurors the defendants did not intend to cause damage and did not consider there to be a risk of damage at the time. O’Brien said the defendants believed the owners of the planes would consent to their actions because they did not expect the paint to cause damage or affect the aircrafts' value or use.

Around 10 supporters, including a Just Stop Oil press officer, sat in the public gallery as the trial opened. The case continues at Chelmsford Crown Court, where jurors will hear further evidence about the alleged breach of airport security and the extent of the damage to the aircraft.